Rayo Vallecano vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s La Liga title defense continues at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas against familiar foes Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo Vallecano fortified their position in La Liga’s mid-table with a narrow 1-0 triumph at rock-bottom Valencia last time out, snapping a dreadful run of three consecutive league defeats. Still only six points clear of the bottom three, ‘Los Franjirrojos’ cannot afford to rest on their laurels, especially at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas, where they’ve been notoriously porous this season. Inigo Perez’s men lament the division’s joint-worst home record in 2024/25 (W2, D2, L3), losing their last two league outings here despite finding the back of the net on each occasion. However, they’ve been remarkably successful in this fixture of late, holding Real Madrid winless in three of their last four top-flight H2Hs on this ground (W2, D1), with three of those four encounters featuring under 2.5 goals. 

Unlike last season, reigning holders Real Madrid are in no position to drop points against the perennial bottom-half strugglers as they commence this round two points adrift of La Liga pacesetters Barcelona, albeit with a game in hand. Vinicius Junior’s return from injury had an immediate effect on Carlo Ancelotti’s faltering super-squad, with ‘Los Blancos’ seeing off high-flying Atalanta in midweek UEFA Champions League action (3-2) to rekindle their hopes of securing automatic knockout qualification. Jude Bellingham ran the show last weekend as Real Madrid thumped Girona 3-0 to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, offering themselves a chance to win consecutive away league games for only the second time this season.