Rayo Vallecano vs Atlético – News and Probable Lineups

After an impressive 4-0 victory against Barcelona in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, Atletico Madrid will turn their attention to La Liga as they face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Atletico currently occupies the third position in the La Liga standings, tied on points with Villarreal, who are fourth, while Rayo finds themselves in the relegation zone at 18th due to a series of poor results.

Match overview

Last season, Rayo secured an eighth-place finish in La Liga, which earned them a spot in the Conference League, and they have successfully advanced to the knockout phase of the tournament.

However, Inigo Perez’s squad has found it tough in La Liga this term, gathering just 22 points across 22 matches, putting them in 18th place, one point shy of 17th-placed Valencia.

Los Franjirrojos have faced defeats in their last three league outings against Celta Vigo, Osasuna, and Real Madrid, and they haven’t played since falling 2-1 to Real Madrid on February 1.

Rayo was scheduled to host Real Oviedo last weekend, but the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, leaving them with a fixture to reschedule.

Perez’s side has only achieved two victories in their 10 home league fixtures this season, enduring just two losses while drawing six times.

Atletico, as noted earlier, were active in the Copa del Rey semi-finals on Thursday night, achieving a remarkable 4-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their encounter.

Diego Simeone’s men are now well-positioned to reach the tournament final against either Athletic Bilbao or Real Sociedad, though they are not competing for the La Liga title this season, situated 13 points behind leaders Barcelona in third place.

Atletico’s priority is to secure a top-four finish; they are currently on equal points with Villarreal, who has a game in hand, and they are seven points clear of fifth-placed Real Betis after playing the same number of matches (23).

The Red and Whites recently lost 1-0 at home to Real Betis, and they will aim to recover in the upcoming Madrid derby on Sunday.

Atletico previously defeated Rayo 3-2 in their earlier fixture this season, while the last league meeting in the 2024-25 campaign ended in a 1-1 draw.

Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:

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Rayo Vallecano form (all competitions):

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Atletico Madrid La Liga form:

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Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):

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Team News

Rayo will be missing Abdul Mumin due to a knee injury, while Pep Chavarria and Pathe Ciss are both suspended after receiving red cards in their last match against Real Madrid.

Unai Lopez and Diego Mendez will have to undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability after missing the clash with Alvaro Arbeloa’s team.

Alvaro Garcia has been in excellent form this season and is expected to play in an attacking role, while Oscar Valentin and Luiz Felipe may step in for Chavarria and Ciss.

For Atletico, Johnny Cardoso and Pablo Barrios are sidelined due to muscle injuries.

There were no new injury concerns arising from their Copa del Rey match against Barcelona, but Jan Oblak will return as the starting goalkeeper.

Those who performed well against Barcelona could be rewarded with starting positions, including Nahuel Molina likely retaining his spot at right-back and Antoine Griezmann anticipated to keep his place in attack.

Rayo Vallecano probable starting XI:

Battle; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Felipe; Valentin, Gumbau; Akhomach, Palazon, A Garcia; De Frutos

Atletico Madrid probable starting XI:

Oblak; Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Alvarez

The 10 home La Liga matches for Rayo have seen only 17 goals scored, suggesting we do not anticipate a high-scoring encounter here. Despite their recent difficulties, Rayo possesses the ability to challenge Atletico, but we predict that the visitors will narrowly secure the win.