Barcelona leads the competition with 34 points, two ahead of Real Madrid and ten points over Atletico Madrid.
With his third win in a row, Rayo jumped to eighth place, two points behind the qualifying spots for the European Championships.
Since the absence of FIFA World Player of the Year Karim Benzema with a thigh injury last month, Real Madrid have won once in their last three matches in all competitions.
Real Madrid missed many chances in an exciting match against Rayo, who has one of the strongest attacking lines in the league this season.
“I was not surprised because we know Rayo’s style of play, he was the best and most accurate side today, and he deserved to win,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told Movistar Plus.
“We lost a lot of one-on-ones and he was more excited, it doesn’t matter how competent you are when the other side plays with more enthusiasm than you.”
“I think we started the season well, but the team fell back because of the busy schedule ahead of the World Cup,” he added.
Rayo opened the scoring five minutes later when midfielder Santi Comsana netted from inside the penalty area, but Real Madrid bounced back to take the lead within four minutes.
Croatia’s Luka Modric equalized with a penalty kick in the 37th minute after Marco Asensio fell, and Eder Militao gave the away team the lead with a header.
But striker Alvaro Garcia equalized for the home side at the end of the first half.
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo missed several chances for Real Madrid before and after the break.
Tensions rose in the second half, with each team receiving three yellow cards, and Rayo coach Andoni Iraola sent off after protesting the referee several times.
Rayo got a penalty in the 67th minute after the intervention of the video assistant referee, who discovered a handball on defender Danny Carvajal.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved Oscar Trejo’s kick, but the referee ordered a re-execution because the Real goalkeeper moved off the goal line.
Trejo scored on the second try to give Rayo the win.
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