Rayo Vallecano vs Atl. Madrid prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-04-08 19:00.
Rayo Vallecano find themselves higher in the La Liga (LL) standings than they did ahead of their previous meeting with AtlĂ©tico Madrid despite suffering the longest active winless streak of the competition (D5, L2). Itâs certainly not too late to give up on European football just yet, particularly if Real Madrid go on to win the Copa del Rey final, which would send the seventh-placed team into the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Thatâs the spot that Rayo fell short of only by goal difference going into this round, and their 1-1 draw with AtlĂ©tico at the Metropolitano in October is one of many reminders, alongside a draw at Camp Nou (0-0) and win at home to Real Madrid (3-2), that on their day they can compete with the leagueâs best. But a LL second-half goal difference of -6 in their current winless period suggests Rayo are probably going to have to lift their performance after half-time for such a feat to be repeated.
AtlĂ©tico are primed to continue their ten years without a loss to Vallecano in any competition (W11, D3) after three consecutive LL wins âto nilâ gave them plenty of breathing space in third place with a nine-point buffer inside the Champions League qualification slots going into the round. Despite taking a pay cut and facing scrutiny and speculation about his future on an almost weekly basis, manager Diego Simeone led his team to more points in his last ten LL games (W8, D2) than anyone but Barcelona.
If their opponents canât immediately improve their recent second-half woes, AtlĂ©tico will be poised to pounce. Simeoneâs men have found the net after half-time in each of their last nine LL outings, ensuring their lengthy unbeaten period continues to build despite their ongoing habit of slow offensive starts that has seen them lead at half-time in just three of their last 17 LL fixtures.
Players to watch: Vallecano could do with Ălvaro GarcĂa registering a fifth goal scoring appearance for this LL season given they won the previous four, whilst namesake Ălvaro Morata has won the four LL games since the World Cup in which he scored.
Hot stat: An Atlético substitute has scored in all but one of their last seven games.