Third-placed Real Madrid are all set to host 11th-placed Rayo Vallecano as they look to bounce back from the defeat in their last outing.
Real Madrid, who have been inconsistent of late, are all set to host mid-table side Rayo Vallecano. Both teams are heading into this encounter on the back of a defeat and will be eager to return to winning ways.
Los Blancos’ last outing ended in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Valencia. The Merengues had more possession of the ball but failed to make it tick. However, their defeat was not the biggest talking point from that outing, it was the racial abuses that Vinicius Junior faced before being sent off in the 97th minute.
The incident has not gone down well in the world of football, and a lot of people have come in support of the Real Madrid star. While all this goes on in the background, Carlo Ancelotti has a big task of shifting his squad’s attention to the Rayo Vallecano fixture.
Real Madrid have lost three out of their last five league outings and have dropped from second to the third. They will hope to bounce back and reclaim the second spot with positive results in the last three league fixtures.
Meanwhile, the visitors have lost their last two league fixtures. They will be eager to bounce back to winning ways. And winning at the Santiago Bernabeu will surely be special if they do manage to get it done. Their last outing against Espanyol ended in a 2-1 defeat.
They will be looking to put on a better show against Real Madrid, who have been inconsistent of late and snatch a famous win. There is a lot going on at Real Madrid, and there might not be a better time for the visitors to create a huge upset having already done it earlier in the season.
While Rayo Vallecano have enjoyed a decent season, they have lost three of their last five league games and might struggle against one of the best outfits in the league. In the reverse fixture, Rayo Vallecano beat Real Madrid 3-2, and they have a great chance of doing a rare double over the Spanish giants. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics that could come into use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of Vinicius Junior, who was sent off in their last outing. While his red card has been overturned, he is not part of the squad that was announced by Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Mariano Diaz is sidelined because of an injury.
πβ Our squad for the match π @RayoVallecano.#RealMadridRayo pic.twitter.com/yCxFcttrlU
— Real Madrid C.F. π¬π§πΊπΈ (@realmadriden) May 23, 2023
The Italian manager could recall some of his senior players back into the XI after having rested them in their last fixture. He is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal.
Dani Carvajal and David Alaba are expected to be the full-backs. Meanwhile, Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger should be the centre-back pairing. Aurelien Tchouameni will feature in the role of a holding midfielder. And, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos should return to the mix and support the young Frenchman in the centre of the park.
Marco Asensio will start as the right winger and in the absence of Vinicius, Rodrygo will start on the left. Karim Benzema will be leading the line for Real Madrid against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
Rayo Vallecano
The visitors will be without the services of Mario Suarez, who is suspended for this fixture. Meanwhile, Oscar Valentin is back after serving his one-game suspension, and Esteban Saveljich has recovered from his injury.
β‘ ππ’π¬ ππ¨πππ ππ π₯ππ¬π’ β‘
π Jornada 36 #LaLigaSantander
π @realmadrid
ποΈ Estadio Santiago BernabΓ©u
π’ 19:30 horas #RealMadridRayo #VamosRayo pic.twitter.com/9VLWoFbhBh— Rayo Vallecano (@RayoVallecano) May 24, 2023
Andoni Iraola will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation where Stole Dimitrievski will be in goal. Ivan Balliu and Fran Garcia should start as the full-backs. They will have the difficult task of keeping the pacey wingers of Real Madrid at bay.
Florian Lejeune is expected to pair up, with Alejandro Catena in the heart of the defence. Meanwhile, Santi Comesana should join Oscar Valentin in the centre of the park. The duo will form the double pivot in front of the defence.
Isi Palazon and Alvaro Garcia will start out wide as the wingers. Meanwhile, Oscar Trejo will continue to feature in the role of the attacking midfielder. He will look to create chances for Raul de Tomas who will lead be leading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Balliu, Lejeune, Catena, Fran Garcia; Comesana, Valentin; Palazon, Trejo, Alvaro Garcia; De Tomas
Key Stats
- Real Madrid are second in the league in terms of goal difference. They have a GD of +37.
- Isi Palazon has been one of the best players for Rayo Vallecano in the ongoing season with 13 goal contributions to his name.
- Los Blancos have the fourth-best defence in the league having conceded just 33 goals.
- Rayo Vallecano have a GD of -5 and are ranked 10th in the league in terms of their goal difference.
- Real Madrid are the highest-scoring team in the league with 70 goals.
Player to Watch
Marco Asensio
Asensio is not really a starter for Real Madrid anymore; the 27-year-old, whose future remains uncertain, was not even getting enough game time in the first half of the season. However, things have changed of late, and he has featured in the starting XI on numerous occasions.
The Spain international has left his mark by scoring important goals for the team in white. He has been on the pitch for just over 1,900 minutes in his 49 appearances and has been involved in 20 goals. He has found the back of the net on 12 occasions and has eight assists to his name.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-0 Rayo Vallecano
Both teams are heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat and will be eager to return to winning ways. While there is a lot going on in the background at Madrid, the team in white might actually benefit from it and could be motivated to make a statement with a win.
While Rayo Vallecano might have won the reverse fixture, this time around they might come under the pump. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.
