Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid’s quest to dethrone La Liga champions Barcelona continues at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu against Rayo Vallecano.

Jude Bellingham’s heroics inspired Real Madrid to a remarkable 2-1 comeback win over Barcelona in last weekend’s El Clasico, cementing their place at the top of the La Liga table, four points clear of the reigning champions. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have done a splendid job establishing themselves as early title favorites, racking up an eye-catching nine wins in the opening 11 La Liga rounds (D1, L1). A tenth is most definitely on the table, considering ‘Los Merengues’ have emerged victorious in their last 11 top-flight H2Hs against Vallecano on home turf, notably netting 2+ goals on ten occasions. But this might not be a walk in the park as it could appear at first glance, given Madrid’s three most recent home league wins over Vallecano have yielded a single-goal margin.

In the meantime, the last time Rayo Vallecano met a Madrid side in La Liga, it didn’t end well for them as Atletico Madrid thumped them 7-0 in late August. However, since a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis at the start of September, the visitors haven’t lost a competitive match (W3, D5), including a 6-0 demolition of Atletico de Lugones in midweek Copa del Rey action. Moreover, ‘Los Franjirrojos’ have fared exceptionally well on the road this season, going down just once on six La Liga travels (W2, D3) while only conceding three goals in the process. Manager Francisco can appreciate his side’s defensive effort as they’ve pulled off two clean sheets on their last two league trips, a type of resilience they’ll need in Madrid.