Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano meet in La Liga Santander! Catch the La Liga odds series here, featuring our Real Madrid-Rayo Vallecano prediction, pick, and guide on how to watch.
Real Madrid (22-5-8) will be aiming to get its spot in second place in the Spanish League. With a 4-0 defeat against Manchester City in the Champions League and a 1-0 loss to Valencia, Real Madrid is looking to make another win to overtake Atletico Madrid.
Rayo Vallecano (12-10-13) will be hoping to snap their two-game losing streak with a road win against last year's champions. The Red Sashes just had three wins in the past eight games, but they might just push for a league double win against Los Blancos after winning the reverse fixture.
Here are the Real Madrid-Rayo Vallecano soccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
La Liga Odds: Real Madrid-Rayo Vallecano Odds
Real Madrid: -185
Rayo Vallecano: +460
Draw: +310
Over 2.5 Goals: -166
Under 2.5 Goals: +134
How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano
TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV, DirecTV Stream
Time: 1:30 PM ET / 10:30 AM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Real Madrid Can Beat Rayo Vallecano
After suffering a 1-0 loss to Valencia, Madrid has now slumped into the third place in the Spanish La Liga. Tempers flared when the Los Blancos visited El Che, including a red card issued to Vinicius Junior. The match was much remembered for the racist remarks thrown at the Brazilian winger, which earned him support from the football community all over the world.
Los Blancos have been volatile in the past five games in La Liga, suffering defeats to Real Sociedad and Girona and gaining wins over Almeria and Getafe. The Vikings hope to get back on their winning ways as they host Rayo Vallecano, whom they defeated 18 times in the last 20 matchups.
Real Madrid has been suffering from injury depletion all season long, but they can expect a healthy squad this time. Only Luis Lopez is absent in the club, who is still under training with Real Madrid Castilla, the team's first squad in the Primera Federacion. Vinicius Junior's red card has been lifted and he is expected to play in this game. Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao should be careful not to pick up a yellow card in this match, or else they will be suspended in the next.
For Carlo Ancelotti, he will be looking towards Rodrygo, Marco Asensio, and Karim Benzema to lead the Meringues’ attack. Aurelien Tchouameni will be partnering with Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in the midfield. Real Madrid has smashed 70 goals across 35 matches this season, and with an 11% conversion rate and 60.9% ball possession, they might be able to keep this number up.
The Los Blancos will likely begin the game with a 4-3-3 system. Thibaut Courtois, Daniel Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Ruediger, and Ferland Mendy shall be slotted in the defensive line for Real Madrid. These players are primed to keep Real's averages of 14.2 tackles, 7.7 interceptions, and 11.0 clearances per game.
Why Rayo Vallecano Can Beat Real Madrid
The Red Sashes have had mixed results this season but remain hopeful of a top-half league finish and perhaps a European spot. The Thunderbolts picked up two losses on the bounce. Their visit to Real Betis had a 3-1 scoreline, while their home game against Espanyol ended in a 1-2 defeat. In their match against Espanyol, Rayo Vallecano oversaw 64% ball possession and 15 shots at the objective with five on target. Sergi Darder and Nicolas Melamed scored for the visitors, as Raul de Tomas' sole effort was not enough to force a draw.
Vallecano has five of their last eight matches, winning just on three occasions over the likes of Osasuna, FC Barcelona, and Real Valladolid. The Rayitos are also winless in their past seven away games, their last victory on the road was an 0-1 visit against Villarreal. Rayo hopes that their 4-5-8 record on the road will give them a win this time. Snatching the three points at the Santiago Bernabeu will put Rayo in eighth place, closing the gap to the seventh spot to just one point.
Rayo has just won twice in the last 20 matchups against Real Madrid, but one of those wins came in the reverse fixture last November. Luka Modric and Eder Militao provided the goals for Los Blancos, but efforts from Santo Comesana, Alvaro Garcia, and Oscar Trejo secured the three points for Rayo.
Coach Andoni Iraola only has Radamel Falcao (leg injury) and Mario Suarez (suspension) absent in this game. Florian Lejeune, Stole Dimitrievski, Isi Palazon, and Pathe Ciss should be careful as they have four yellow cards.
Rayo should rely on the services of Isi Palazon, who leads the team with eight goals and five assists. Sergio Camello comes second with six goals and five assists while Alvaro Garcia has five goals and five dimes. Oscar Trejo has seven goal involvements.
Final Real Madrid-Rayo Vallecano Prediction & Pick
Real Madrid has found the worst time to get in poor form, but their solid record in the Bernabeu can see them split the two games against Rayo.
Final Real Madrid-Rayo Vallecano Prediction & Pick: Real Madrid (-185), Over 2.5 goals (-166)
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