Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano Preview & Prediction | 2022-23 Spanish Primera
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THE FACTS
When is Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano on and what time does it start? Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano will take place on Thursday 25th May, 2023 – 21:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano on in the UK? Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano will be televised live on LaLigaTV (Sky channel 435, Virgin channel 554) for those with a Viaplay subscription, while Sky and Virgin customers can also sign up to the channel.
Where can I stream Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano in the UK? Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano can be streamed live on Viaplay
THE LOWDOWN
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint in charge of Real Madrid may well be coming to a conclusion with Los Blancos having just three games of the season to go and it appearing that everyone’s best solution would be for the Italian to leave on good terms, especially with links to the Brazilian national side.
The home team come into this on the back of a 1-0 defeat away to Valencia which was overshadowed by racist abuse aimed at Vinicius Junior and then Vinicius’ subsequent red card for attempting to escape a chokehold by Hugo Duro.
The 2021/22 Spanish champions are meandering their way to the end of the campaign with little to play for but they could end up finishing below their city rivals, Atletico, for the fifth time in nine seasons.
Rayo Vallecano
Under the management of Andoni Iraola, Rayo Vallecano begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting firmly in the middle-of-the-table in La Liga after some indifferent recent form.
The visitors have been significantly overperforming since their promotion to the top-flight in 2021. They have suffered three defeats in their last four matches, though, as they drift away from the top seven and the UEFA Europa Conference League qualification spots.
Their most recent outing was a 2-1 defeat at home to relegation-threatened Espanyol, at the weekend. The visitors fell behind to a Sergi Darder opener before Raul de Tomas equalised from the spot but the Catalans managed to take all three points via a second-half winner from Nico Melamed.
THE PREDICTION
This is a Madrid derby between two sides and two sets of supporters that have very different ideologies. Real Madrid are the epitome of the establishment in world football and their fans, as well as history, would indicate it goes beyond just sport. Rayo Vallecano, on the other hand, are the team of the barrio and a club that boasts a group of supporters attempting to change and challenge the unfortunate status quo. On the field, both sides head to the Bernabeu in reasonably underwhelming form but Rayo will always get themselves up to bloody the nose of the big guys. Madrid should win but it could be quite an entertaining encounter.
TIP: REAL MADRID TO WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
