Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: La Liga Preview

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Once hopeful of a title challenge and a deep European run, Atlético's season has taken a downturn. A 1-0 defeat to Las Palmas last weekend made it three defeats in six La Liga outings and capped a disappointing stretch that also saw them bow out of the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Their only goal now is to secure a top-five finish, which appears likely given their early-season consistency, but their current form (W3, D1, L5 in last nine across all competitions) has raised concerns.

Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, are enduring struggles of their own. A 1-1 draw with Valencia on Saturday extended their poor run to one win in nine La Liga games (D3, L5), stalling their push for Europe. That said, the race for a Conference League spot is still alive, with Rayo sitting just a couple of points off eighth place. However, they have failed to win any of their last five home matches and have been inconsistent on the road, especially against higher-ranked sides.

Head-to-Head Stats

• Atlético are unbeaten in their last 17 competitive meetings with Rayo Vallecano (W13, D4).
• Rayo have not beaten Atlético in an away La Liga fixture since August 1999.
• The reverse fixture this season ended in a 1-1 draw, one of the few recent occasions Rayo have avoided defeat against Atleti.

Home vs Away Dynamics

Atleti have been strong at the Metropolitano in 2024–25, boasting 11 wins in 16 home La Liga games (W11, D4, L1), providing a solid base amid their wider struggles. Rayo, on the other hand, have been inconsistent away from Vallecas, and their last outing on the road ended in a 3-1 defeat to Athletic Club.

Rayo’s only win in their last seven away league matches came against Alavés. In fact, they have not won a La Liga match against a team currently in the top seven this season (D4, L7).

Key Players to Watch

• Antoine Griezmann (Atlético): The Frenchman is the all-time top scorer in this fixture with nine goals, including making it 2-0 in four of his last five scoring appearances against Rayo.
• Pedro Díaz (Rayo): Has three goals in his last six games. Notably, his last five away goals in league competition all came before the hour mark.

Injury News

Atlético Madrid:

• No fresh injury concerns reported.
• Rodrigo De Paul is expected to start in midfield alongside Pablo Barrios.
• Antoine Griezmann could be recalled to the starting XI in place of Alexander Sørloth.
• Julian Alvarez (14 league goals) is expected to lead the line once again.

Rayo Vallecano:

• Abdul Mumin (knee) and Jonathan Montiel (quad) remain sidelined.
• Sergio Camello is close to returning from a foot injury but is unlikely to feature.
• Midfielder Unai López is pushing for a start after back-to-back substitute appearances.