Villarreal vs Rayo Vallecano
La Liga this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
| GP | P | GD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 17 | 27 | 1 | |
| 13 | 17 | 21 | -1 |
VIL
RAY
Villarreal eye back-to-back La Liga victories as Rayo visits.
As Villarreal aim to harness their Copa del Rey triumph and secure consecutive La Liga victories, the Yellow Submarine battles Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio de la Ceramica, where historical home advantage and formidable form pit them against a Vallecano squad eager to defy the odds and close the gap in the standings.
Villarreal
Villarreal returns to La Liga with renewed vigor, aiming for consecutive league wins after a commanding 6-1 victory over Poblense in the Copa del Rey. Ayoze Pérez’s first-half hat-trick secured a decisive result for the Yellow Submarine.
The Spanish forward’s late header in their previous La Liga match helped Villarreal pick up a 2-1 victory, their third win in five games. Villarreal have climbed to third in La Liga, nine points behind Barcelona, marking their best start since the 2016/17 season.
However, Villarreal’s recent meetings with Vallecano have been challenging, winning only once in the last four matches while suffering two losses. Despite these setbacks, they hold a strong home advantage against the Madrid side, boasting eight wins from their last nine home meetings.
Ayoze Pérez, who has scored in back-to-back games, is expected to lead the line in a 4—4—2 formation alongside Nicolas Pépé. Manager Marcelino will monitor the fitness of midfielders Alfonso Pedraza and Denis Suárez, who are doubtful, while Gerard Moreno and Eric Bailly remain confirmed absentees for this fixture.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano are coming off a dominant 5-0 win over CD Villamuriel in the Copa del Rey. In their previous La Liga outing, despite playing with 10 men for much of the game, Los Franjirrojos secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Alaves, thanks to an Antonio Sivera own goal.
Now looking to close the five-point gap to Villarreal, Vallecano aims to secure back-to-back league victories. However, history suggests a difficult road ahead as Vallecano’s struggles against teams from the Comunidad Valenciana region are well documented, with just one win from their last 17 away fixtures against these teams.
This included a notable 1-0 win over Villarreal in January 2023. Despite these challenges, Vallecano’s overall La Liga form this season has been impressive, with only three defeats in their opening 11 games, marking their second-best start in the 21st century.
Manager Iñigo Pérez is likely to field a 4-4-2 formation, with Isi Palazón and Sergio Camello leading the attack. However, key absences may weaken their efforts, as Abdul Mumin and Unai López are suspended and Alfonso Espino and Diego Méndez remain sidelined due to injuries.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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