Rayo Vallecano vs Girona – News and Probable Lineups

Following their recent success in securing a place in the Conference League final, Rayo Vallecano will continue their La Liga campaign with a home match against Girona, who are battling to avoid relegation, on Monday night.

Rayo currently occupies the 11th position in the La Liga standings, trailing seventh-placed Getafe by two points, while Girona sits at 16th, just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Match overview

Rayo has impressively booked their place in a European final, defeating Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals, and now they prepare to face Crystal Palace in an exciting final on May 27.

Victory in this year’s Conference League would allow Rayo to qualify for the 2026-27 Europa League, marking a significant milestone in their history if they were to secure their first European trophy. However, Palace will be entering the match as the favored side.

Los Franjirrojos have performed well recently, winning four out of their last five matches across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory over Getafe in their last La Liga game, which has maintained their 11th position in the standings.

Inigo Perez’s team is only two points adrift of Getafe in seventh place and five points behind Celta Vigo in sixth, meaning they could still achieve European football next season, even if they remain unbeaten in the Conference League final.

Rayo has accrued 27 points from their 17 home league fixtures this season, while Girona has managed 16 points from 17 away matches.

Girona finds themselves among several teams embroiled in a relegation struggle at this stage, presently standing at 16th in the league, two points above Levante, who sit in the 18th spot.

Michel’s team is in distressing form, having lost their last three league matches against Real Betis, Valencia, and Mallorca, and their scoring issues are a pressing concern, as they have only found the net 36 times in their 34 league games.

The White and Reds will face Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, and Elche in their final three league outings, so a loss in this game could put them in a precarious position.

Historically, Girona has clashed with Rayo on 31 occasions, with both sides claiming 12 victories, and there have been seven draws.

This season, Rayo achieved a 3-1 win over Girona, but the Catalan side has taken three victories from their last six encounters with their opponents on Monday, including a 2-1 triumph in Madrid in November 2023.

Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:

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Rayo Vallecano form (all competitions):

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Girona La Liga form:

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Team News

Rayo will be missing Luiz Felipe due to an injury, and Ilias Akhomach is considered a fitness doubt for the match on Monday evening.

Isi Palazon, who has been notable this season with seven goals and seven assists, is also unavailable due to suspension.

Head coach Perez is expected to make several adjustments to the lineup that faced Strasbourg last Thursday, with Sergio Camello, Pedro Diaz, Alvaro Garcia, and Randy Nteka likely to feature in the starting XI.

On the other hand, Girona will be without four players definitively due to injuries, including Juan Carlos, Portu, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Vladyslav Vanat.

Abel Ruiz and Donny van de Beek are doubts, while Bryan Gil is serving a suspension, which means Girona could potentially be without seven players for this encounter in the Spanish capital.

Claudio Echeverri has managed to score only once for the Catalan side this season, but there is anticipated to be another opportunity for the Manchester City loanee in the attacking third.

Rayo Vallecano probable starting XI:

Battle; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Chavarria; Diaz, Valentin; Perez, Nteka, A Garcia; Camello

Girona probable starting XI:

Gazzaniga; Martinez, Blind, Reis, Moreno; Witsel, Beltran; Tsygankov, Ounahi, Roca; Echeverri

With the morale high after their Conference League semi-final achievement, we anticipate that the in-form hosts will prevail over a Girona side facing serious relegation concerns.