Rayo Vallecano vs Elche prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2022-10-02 19:00.
Two La Liga (LL) battlers who have never drawn across eight top-flight meetings will engage in a crucial contest off the back of humiliating defensive efforts that saw them both enter the international break in the bottom half of the standings. After back-to-back two goal hauls from their attacking unit, Rayo Vallecano will fancy their chances of again piling on the goals when the league’s worst defence make the trip north-west from Elche.
Vallecano have already squandered two opportunities for consecutive wins this season, but two games in six days against Elche and Almería present a golden chance to make amends whilst also ending a run of four LL matches without a clean sheet. As they now face an Elche side who have trailed at the break in nine of their last ten league losses, establishing an early advantage could prove profitable.
Elche’s home victory against Vallecano last season was just the second from 12 attempts for manager Francisco Rodríguez in charge of any team (D2, L8), though that underwhelming personal record will be the last thing on his mind as he fights for his job. With games against Valencia and Real Madrid on the horizon in mid-October, failure to break their six-game win drought (D1, L5) against either Vallecano or Mallorca next round will likely see Elche searching for a new boss.
Six games into a new season is certainly too early to condemn any club to certain relegation, and Rodríguez could probably argue his club have had a difficult draw so far with all five of their conquerors placed eighth or higher during the international break. Rodríguez can, however, draw inspiration from the fact five of the 11 LL clubs in the 21st century to have earned one or no points from their first six matches went on to clinch survival.
Key battle: Vallecano's Isi Palazón has already matched his two-goal haul of 2021/22, with both goals coming before half-time in victories. It has certainly been a hard slog for Elche goalkeeper Édgar Badía who, after missing their May win over Getafe, has failed to win his last nine LL games in goal (D2, L7).
Hot stat: Six of Elche’s last eight LL defeats have been by a 2+ goal margin.