STRASBOURG (Interstat) — Alexandre Alemão came off the bench to score the only goal Thursday, lifting Rayo Vallecano to a 1-0 victory over RC Strasbourg Alsace in a Europa League match at Stade de la Meinau.

Alemão, a substitute, found the net in the 42nd minute after a buildup that involved defenders Ben Chilwell and Diego Moreira. Chilwell provided the primary assist on the play, while Moreira was credited with a secondary assist. The goal stood as the lone score of the contest, handing Strasbourg its second consecutive loss to the Spanish side in as many weeks.

Rayo Vallecano, which defeated Strasbourg 1-0 at home on April 30 in the first leg of the two-game aggregate series, improved to 3-0 in the Europa League this season. The victory extended the Madrid club’s winning streak in the competition to three matches dating back to an April 9 victory over AEK. Strasbourg fell to 0-2 in the Europa League.

Across all competitions this season, Rayo Vallecano now holds a record of 21 wins, 12 losses and 11 draws. Strasbourg’s overall mark stands at 12 wins, 10 losses and 8 draws.

The match featured five yellow cards, with Chilwell receiving the first in the 25th minute. Moreira was booked in the 80th minute. Three minutes later, Strasbourg’s Unai López and Óscar Valentín each saw yellow in the 86th minute. Goalkeeper Augusto Batalla picked up a caution in the 88th minute.

Rayo Vallecano entered the match on a run of strong form, having won three of its previous four games in all competitions. Before the victory over Strasbourg on April 30, Rayo Vallecano defeated Getafe 2-0 on May 3 in La Liga play. The club also beat Espanyol 1-0 on April 23 before suffering a 3-0 loss at Mallorca on April 12. Rayo Vallecano’s most recent defeat before that came April 3 against Elche, a 1-0 loss.

Strasbourg, meanwhile, dropped its second straight match after a 2-1 home loss to Toulouse on May 3. The French side had lost 3-0 at Stade Rennais on April 19 and 2-0 at home to FSV Mainz 05 on April 9 before a 3-2 win at Nantes on March 22. Strasbourg’s most recent victory before that came Feb. 22 against Lyon.

The two teams met for the first time in a head-to-head contest on April 30 in Madrid, with Rayo Vallecano winning 1-0. Thursday’s match was the return leg in Strasbourg.

Rayo Vallecano’s next scheduled fixture is Monday at home against Girona in La Liga, followed by a visit to Valencia on May 14. Strasbourg is set to play at Angers on Sunday before hosting AS Monaco on May 17.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of 1-1, while Interstatl’s ELO system gave Rayo Vallecano an 82.3 percent probability to win.