Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Rayo Vallecano have one of the more intense pressing styles in European football as they now welcome a fragile and vulnerable Real Madrid side to Vallecas this weekend for a Madrid derby.
Kick-off date/time: Saturday 14th December, 2024: UK – 3:15pm / US ET – 10:15am / US PT – 7:15am
How to watch on TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
How to watch online: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN+
Rayo Vallecano Preview: Intensity of Inigo
Inigo Perez, the former assistant to AFC Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola, has been able to implement a similarly intense style of football at Rayo Vallecano. They have put together some impressive performances and especially against the better sides in the league.
The home team come into this one on the back of a slender 1-0 defeat of Valencia in their most recent outing last weekend at Mestalla thanks to a seventh minute winner from Pathe Ciss. They begin the weekend five points outside of the top seven but do have games in hand.
Real Madrid Preview: Staying in touch
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid have underwhelmed in terms of performance level throughout this campaign but in typical Los Blancos fashion, they have enough quality to regularly grind out enough results to maintain a title challenge this season as they did last weekend.
Recovering from a 2-1 loss to Athletic Club at San Mames about ten days ago, the Spanish and European champions managed to defeat Girona by three goals to nil thanks to strikes from Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler without playing too well.
Rayo Vallecano Team News: Lots of attackers
Rayo have an abundance of attacking options for their narrow and direct 4-2-2-2 system but it has hampered the likes of James Rodriguez and Oscar Trejo. They have an doubt for this weekend with Raul de Tomas an illness concern.
Predicted XI (4-2-2-2): Alex Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mumin, Pep Chavarria; Jorge de Frutos, Ciss, Oscar Valentin, Alvaro Garcia; Nteka, Isi Palazon
Unavailable:
Questionable: Raul de Tomas (Illness)
Real Madrid Team News: Return of Vini
Vinicius Junior returned to the Real Madrid squad for their clash with Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League in midweek but they are still dealing with key injury absentees such as Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Fede Valverde, Modric; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
Unavailable: Alaba (Injured), Militao (Injured), Dani Carvajal (Injured), Camavinga (Injured)
Questionable: Vinicius Junior (Injured), Rodrygo (Injured)
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid Prediction
Rayo Vallecano will look to get at Real Madrid with their typically intense and entertaining style implemented by Inigo Perez. As they have done, most notably against Barcelona in a game they eventually lost 2-1 back in August, the hosts will make things uncomfortable for a Madrid side that have shown a lack of cohesion in both defence and attack throughout the campaign. Madrid will still expect to grind their way to victory but it should be fun for the neutral.
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid Tip: Real Madrid to win & both teams to score
