Girona vs Rayo Vallecano prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2025-08-14 17:00.
[p]After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Girona kick off the new La Liga campaign against Rayo Vallecano, whose eighth-placed finish last term was their joint-highest in the top-flight.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]The 2024/25 season was a brutal reality check for Girona, who failed to back up their top four finish from two seasons ago. A maiden UEFA Champions League campaign ended in a league phase exit, while they finished up just a point clear of the La Liga relegation zone. Only the bottom two sides conceded more than their 60 league goals, yet the board stayed loyal to manager Michel, who has only been able to add to his squad on loan in this summer’s transfer window, bringing in Thomas Lemar and Vitor Reis from Atlético Madrid and Manchester City respectively.[/p]
[p]Rayo Vallecano enjoyed a historic campaign last time around, clinching an eighth-placed finish by the barest of margins to secure their first European qualification since 2000/01. They’ll soon have to tackle the UEFA Conference League play-off round, so will be looking to generate momentum in this season opening clash. Manager Iñigo Pérez has been able to make just one major addition to his squad in Luiz Felipe from Marseille, which may not inspire much hope that they can secure a third successive away league win for the first time since February 2012![/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Girona have lost just one of their eight La Liga meetings against Rayo (W4, D3), but that did come in the most recent H2H in January (2-1). [/p]
[p]Rayo are winless in four top-flight visits to Girona (D2, L2).[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Girona have never won their opening game of a La Liga season (D4, L1).[/p]
[p]Seven of the last nine matches Girona have played on a Friday have featured 3+ goals.[/p]
[p]Rayo only failed to score in one of their final six away league games in 2024/25 (W3, L3).[/p]
[p]Rayo have avoided defeat in their opening game of the last three seasons (W2, D1). [/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Cristhian Stuani finished last season with five goals in seven matches for Girona, while he’s netted his side’s first goal on each of his last seven scoring appearances. Rayo’s Jorge de Frutos has scored in three successive matches in pre-season, and was also on target on the opening weekend of last season.[/p]
[p]Donny van de Beek and Abel Ruiz look set to be absent for Girona. Rayo are without Abdul Mumin, who is still recovering from a problem picked up last season.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Six of the last eight meetings between these two sides have seen both teams score, and given how both clubs have fared in pre-season, that might be worth backing here.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Matt Jones[/i][/p]