Rayo Vallecano vs Girona 02/03/19

2 March 2019

Rayo Vallecano host Girona to the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas for their bottom-half-of-the-table clash that sees the hosts desperately trying to bring a four-game La Liga losing run to an end.

Although rooted in the relegation zone for the majority of the season, Rayo can still preserve their top-flight status as they currently trail 17th-placed Celta Vigo by just two points. Los Franjirrojos’ inexplicable drop-off in form occurred just when they were climbing up the table. Before losing four straight LL contests, they have put five games without a loss together, pulling off four victories in that period. All three of Rayo’s LL home triumphs have come against teams from the bottom half of the table, which can encourage Michel amid this severe crisis. However, Los Vallecanos’ fragile defense remains the burning issue considering their tally of 43 goals conceded after 25 league fixtures is La Liga’s joint-worst.

Meanwhile, the visitors are undefeated in their last two league clashes (W1, D1) but they still have a long way to go to avoid relegation, as they sit just five points clear of 18th-placed Villarreal. A stunning 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu has brought Girona’s five-game LL road losing run to an end (D1, L4) although they’ve failed to preserve a clean slate for nine consecutive road trips across all competitions. Furthermore, the Blanquivermells have conceded 2+ match goals on six occasions in that period, allowing over 2.5 goals per match four times in a row. On the other hand, Eusebio Sacristan has nothing to complain about when it comes to his team’s offensive output, as the Catalans bagged 2+ match goals five times in their last six competitive away meetings.