After scoring a combined six goals against Girona and Atalanta in their last two games to score two vital victories and bounce back from a tough 2-1 loss at San Mames vs. Athletic Club, Real Madrid have another tough road trip on tap this weekend against Rayo Vallecano.
Even though Rayo are in the bottom half of the LaLiga table, they pose a threat to any top side in the country and have some of the most recognizable names in the league in veterans Isi Palazon, Alvaro Garcia, and even center back Florian Lejeune.
So before the match on Saturday night, let’s break down the key matchups that will decide this rivalry encounter on Matchday 17 between the second-best team in the league and the 12th.
LB Fran Garcia vs. RW Jorge de Frutos
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Jorge de Frutos is a really interesting player, and Real Madrid actually had the chance to buy him back as a right wing back a couple of years ago when he first burst onto the scene at Levante since Real had a customary buy-back over the young Spanish player.
In the end, it made sense for Real Madrid to let De Frutos flourish elsewhere, and although Levante are no longer in the top flight, De Frutos is back in LaLiga and has legitimately been Rayo’s biggest threat this season.
No player on Rayo has scored more goals than De Frutos’s three, and as his team’s best player, he will be going up against Real’s biggest weakness at the left back position.
Fran Garcia is, himself, a former Rayo player, as Real Madrid loaned him to their local rivals and watched the athletic left back blossom into arguably the best player at his position in the league.
With more responsibilities and defensive expectations in the capital, Fran’s stock has fallen, but he is still the team’s best left back and will be entrusted to keep De Frutos off the scoresheet on Saturday night.
LW Vinicius Junior vs. RB Andrei Ratiu
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Andrei Ratiu was one of the big breakout stars of the European Championships for Romania and has built on that momentum in 2024/25 with a significantly better second season for the LaLiga side.
He has [2.1 dribbles completed, 2.0 tackles per game, and just 0.3 dribbles per contest allowed](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/372331/History/Andrei-Ratiu) as one of the best overall right backs in LaLiga. Ratiu is a borderline world-class defender at the fullback position and is one of the best ball progressors at the position in Europe this season.
That’s just the right combination to make life at least a little difficult for Vinicius Junior, who scored and assisted on Tuesday night in Bergamo in his return from injury, proving to be the match-winning player for Real Madrid against the best team in Italian football of the 2024/25 season so far.
Vinicius Jr. thrives in rough environments like the one at the Vallecas, and while Ratiu can’t stop the Brazilian superstar fully, the 26-year-old LaLiga breakout star is good enough to slow Vini Jr. enough to give his Rayo teammates a chance on Saturday.
CF Rodrygo Goes vs. CB Florian Lejeune
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Florian Lejeune is a familiar foe to Real Madrid and used to give them some headaches with his rough-and-tough defense back when he played for Deportivo Alaves.
A veteran of LaLiga, Lejeune isn’t beneath committing nasty fouls to help his team win games, and Real Madrid’s injury-plagued front line will be in for some battles on the ground and in the air against the 33-year-old Frenchman.
In addition to Ratiu, Vinicius Jr. will be matched up frequently with the Rayo central defender, but Lejeune’s main responsibility will be keeping Rodrygo Goes quiet at the center forward position with Kylian Mbappe out of action due to an injury against Atalanta.
Rodrygo has a lot to prove this season and has fallen quiet recently due to injury after a strong start to the season. He has to be much stronger in the air and in the tackle against Lejeune, and if Rayo decide to play very aggressively in defense, the makeshift center forward may only get a couple of good chances this weekend.
One of the big criticisms of Rodrygo over the last two or three seasons has been his lack of progress as a finisher in front of goal, preventing him from ever transitioning into a more central forward. He has to step up in this one.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.