Head-to-head info
As you can imagine, Madrid has been the more dominant side when these two clash. However, in recent memory, there’s not much separating them. The last three meetings have ended level, including a thrilling 3-3 draw back in December where both sides exchanged blows. We could be in for another entertaining affair.
Crucial match for Los Blancos
The Spanish and European title holders are having another impressive campaign, but it’s no easy task en route to another league trophy this term. As things stand, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are three points behind Barcelona in first, who had their game on Saturday postponed due to a medical staff member passing away before kick-off. A victory for Real on Sunday can put them level with Barca, also depending on what happens with Atletico. They’re two points ahead of Madrid.
A loss to Betis last weekend was gut-wrenching for the European giants, who were surprisingly toothless in the final third. Brahim Diaz opened the scoring early but Betis responded with two unanswered goals. Los Blancos had a mere two shots on target. However, they did grab a huge first leg Round of 16 victory in the UCL mid-week over Atletico.
Rodrygo and Diaz once again produced the goods on home soil, giving their side a clear 2-1 advantage heading into the return tie next week. But for now, the focus is on finally beating Vallecano, a club that has given Real trouble over the last two seasons. The hosts are a heavy -345 favorite at Sports Interaction.
Can Vallecano pull off the upset?
After finishing in the bottom half of the table across the last two seasons, Vallecano has improved immensely this term. While a spot in the top four is unlikely, they’re in seventh with 38 points, the same number of points they collected throughout all of last season. The club has a 9-9-8 record, scoring only 28 goals but also conceding a mere 27, one of the lowest marks in the top flight.
However, Rayo isn’t in the best form at the moment, losing two of their last five games and winning just twice during that span. The draw with Sevilla was respectable but before that, they suffered back-to-back defeats to Barcelona and Villarreal. Scoring goals continues to be a major issue, netting just twice in their previous four outings.
Jorge de Frutos is their leading man with four goals and three assists, but he’s currently suspended and won’t be allowed to play on Sunday against Madrid, leaving the visitors without a crucial attacker. Isi Palazon, another key piece up top, is also sidelined with a knee injury. You can see why Vallecano is a massive underdog at soccer betting sites but if they can somehow keep the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at bay, a lone point could be secured.
