Rayo Vallecano-Alaves is a match on the fifth day of La Liga and is played Friday at 9 p.m.: lineups, predictions, TV and streaming.
The humiliating home defeat in the derby with Atletico Madrid has brought Rayo Vallecano back down to earth. The club from Vallecas, a populous Madrid district, had started the new season on the right foot. And that is with two consecutive wins against Almeria and Granada, both beaten on the road and keeping their goal unbeaten (0-2).
The enthusiasm for that double success, which after the first 180′ had allowed Rayo to remain on full points and share the top spot with Real Madrid’s “cousins,” dissipated following the extracittadina with Diego Simeone’s Colchoneros, who rifled as many as seven goals at the Matagigantes, who were overwhelmed with a very heavy 0-7. It was one of the worst beatings ever for the red and whites, who in the following week probably took the blow, also losing at home to Betis. In Andalusia, however, things went differently, with Rayo Vallecano deserving to come out with at least a point in their pocket for what they showed on the field: Manuel Pellegrini’s men were more cynical, scoring the decisive goal early in the second with Willian José. The desire to turn the page after the two-week break for national teams, therefore, is great.
The opportunity for redemption, and thus to get back to scoring points, comes with the match with newly promoted Alaves, which has the same points as Rayo in the standings (6).
Alaves players
The Basques have gone beyond expectations in the first four rounds of La Liga, capitalizing on the field factor and getting the better of Sevilla and Valencia in front of their own public, defeated 4-3 and 1-0 respectively. However, the Luis Garcia-coached team proved more fragile away from home, where it surrendered in front of two direct rivals, Cadiz and Getafe. The Vitoria-Gasteiz club on the road has yet to score a single goal.
The prediction
Rayo Vallecano needs to get back to scoring points after their two consecutive defeats to Atletico Madrid and Betis and should succeed against an Alaves side that away from their home crowd has so far collected nothing. A draw is not to be ruled out.
The likely lineups of Rayo Vallecano-Alaves
- RAYO VALLECANO (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Balliu, Lejeune, Aridane, Espino; Ismaila Ciss, Valentin; Isi, Nteka, Álvaro Garcia; de Tomas.
- ALAVES (4-2-3-1): Sivera; Gorosabel, Abqar, Marín, Sedlar, Duarte; Blanco, Guevara; Alkain, Guridi, Rioja; Kike García.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
