Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
Atletico Madrid
Rayo Vallecano
Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano will clash on Thursday, April 24, as part of the 33rd round of La Liga. The match kicks off at 21:30 Central European Time. I suggest betting on a home victory.
Atletico vs Rayo Vallecano: match facts and H2H
- In the last ten matches, Atletico lost five times, won four matches, and drew once.
- Rayo Vallecano has not won in three rounds in a row: one draw and two losses.
- Atletico Madrid has the second-best defense in La Liga, conceding 27 goals.
- Atletico scores in both halves in 37% of matches, while Rayo does so in 17%.
- Atletico loses without scoring in only 10% of matches, compared to 14% for Vallecano.
- Atletico wins with a clean sheet in 37% of encounters.
- In the first round, the teams drew 1-1. Rayo has not beaten Atletico since 2013.
Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: match preview
Atletico lost to Las Palmas in the last round, which was a blow to their ambitions for second place, let alone first. Recent matches for the Madrid side have been far from stable—five losses in ten rounds have significantly complicated their quest for any trophy. Currently, the team sits in third place with 63 points after 32 rounds. They trail second place by six points and first by thirteen.
Rayo Vallecano at one point in the season held a spot in the top-6 or top-7 but gradually started losing ground. Five losses in the last ten matches, three draws, and only two victories. Currently, the team is on a three-match winless streak—one draw and two losses. These results have pushed Rayo out of the European competition zone. They are currently in tenth place with 41 points after 32 rounds, but still have a chance to qualify for Europe, trailing seventh place by only three points.
Probable lineups
- Atletico Madrid: Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Gallagher; Alvarez, Griezmann
- Rayo Vallecano: Dimitrievski; Ratiu, Lejeune, Siss, Chavarria; Valentin, Lopez; De Frutos, Diaz, Garcia; Nteka
Prediction
On their home turf, Atletico will be motivated to bounce back from the last round's defeat. I believe the hosts will achieve the desired result, so I'm betting on their victory with odds of 1.52.
