Rayo Vallecano vs Atl. Madrid prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-09-21 19:00.
[p]It’s been a mixed La Liga campaign so far for Rayo Vallecano (W2, D1, L2), although they prepare to host Atlético Madrid off the back of an impressive 3-1 home win over Osasuna. So with this their second consecutive game at Vallecas, they’ll be hoping for another positive result especially as it would mean back-to-back La Liga home wins for the first time since May 2023! [/p]
[p]Perhaps home fans won’t have their hopes up, with Rayo losing this same fixture last season 7-0 in league action as part of a 14-game winless H2H run against Diego Simeone’s side! They are a brave outfit though, and even if they didn’t produce any significant shocks over last season’s eventual top four (D3, L3), they did manage a pair of draws against Atlético’s neighbours and reigning European and La Liga champions Real Madrid! [/p]
[p]Things are looking rosy for Atleti, who sat above Real at the end of the last round after kicking off their La Liga campaign with five unbeaten games (W4, D1). Their good form continued in midweek too, as they triumphed 2-1 over RB Leipzig in UEFA Champions League action to mark six home wins in a row for the first time in UEFA competition. [/p]
[p]They’ve been a force on their travels too and Simeone’s side now make the short journey to Rayo looking to mark a sixth consecutive unbeaten away La Liga game for the first time since April 2023! They’ll be understandably full of confidence then, with summer signings from the Premier League, Conor Gallagher and Julián Álvarez, also getting off the mark with goals in their last league outing – a comprehensive 3-0 win over Valencia. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Rayo midfielder Unai López is in something of a purple patch having hit goals in consecutive home league games for the first time in his La Liga career! He’ll have to put in a star performance to outshine Atleti talisman Antoine Griezmann however, with the Frenchman securing six goal contributions from his six competitive club outings this campaign (G3, A3) – not to mention he also scored in Atleti’s 7-0 rout here last time they visited! [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Atleti have scored goals on or after the 90th minute in four of their last five outings. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Luke Bridle[/i][/p]