Real Madrid will be bidding to bounce back from their disappointing loss to Liverpool in the Champions League when they continue their La Liga campaign away to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon.
Los Blancos are top of the La Liga table, five points ahead of second-placed Barcelona, while Rayo occupy 10th spot in the division, picking up 14 points from their opening 11 matches of the season.
Match preview
Rayo have also been in European action this week, continuing their Conference League league phase campaign with a 3-2 home success over Lech Poznan, with the result leaving them in sixth spot in the overall table.
Los Franjirrojos have actually been victorious in three of their last four matches in all competitions during a strong run of form, but they were beaten 4-0 by Villarreal in their last league game on November 1.
Inigo Perez's side have a record of four wins, two draws and five defeats from their 11 league matches this season, with 14 points leaving them in 10th spot in the table, four points off the top six.
Rayo's home form this season has been disappointing, picking up only five points from four matches in front of their own fans, and they will be welcoming a Real Madrid outfit that have 12 points to show from their five games on their travels, which is the best record in the division.
Rayito have only managed to win seven of their previous 46 matches against Real Madrid in all competitions, but three of their last four league games have finished level, including a 3-3 in the corresponding game last term.
Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham on November 4, 2025
Real Madrid did manage to beat Rayo 2-1 in the last meeting between the two sides in March of this year, but Los Blancos have won just two of their last six games against their fellow capital side, with that run including a 3-2 defeat in the corresponding game during the 2022-23 campaign.
Xabi Alonso's side will enter this match off the back of their second defeat of the season, losing 1-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and it was a disappointing performance from the Spanish outfit.
Los Blancos have been comfortably the best side in Spain's top flight so far this season, though, boasting a record of 10 wins and one loss from their 11 matches to collect 30 points, which has left them five points clear of second-placed Barcelona heading into gameweek 12.
Real Madrid could open up an eight-point advantage over Barcelona in this match, as the current champions are not in action until Sunday night against an in-form Celta Vigo.
There remains tension behind the scenes surrounding a certain Vinicius Junior, but Real Madrid must focus on taking care of business on the field, and they will be looking to record a fifth straight win in La Liga, having overcome Villarreal, Getafe, Barcelona and Valencia since a 5-2 reverse to Atletico Madrid.
Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:
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Real Madrid La Liga form:
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Team News
Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid during his side's game against Borussia Dortmund, on October 22, 2024
Rayo will once again be without the services of Luiz Felipe (hamstring), Abdul Mumin (knee) through injury, while Diego Mendez is also a fitness doubt for the home side.
There will be changes to the side that started in Europe on Thursday night, with Jorge de Frutos, Alemao, Pedro Diaz and Andrei Ratiu among those set to be introduced into the XI.
Alvaro Garcia has been in excellent form this season, scoring five times and registering three assists in all competitions, and there will again be a spot in the final third of the field for the Spaniard.
As for Real Madrid, Aurelien Tchouameni will miss the contest due to a hamstring issue, with the France international set to be on the sidelines until the latter stages of the month.
Dani Carvajal (knee) and Antonio Rudiger (muscle) are again definitely out, while David Alaba (calf) and Franco Mastantuono (groin) are unlikely to be involved for the capital giants this weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return from injury off the bench against Liverpool, and the England international could now be in line for a spot in the starting side, allowing Federico Valverde to move further forward.
There could also be a start in the final third of the field for Rodrygo, with the Brazilian potentially joining Vinicius and leading goalscorer Kylian Mbappe in the away side's front three.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Chavarria; Ciss, Valentin, Diaz; De Frutos, Alemao, A Garcia
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Guler, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
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We say: Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Real Madrid
This has the potential to be a very, very difficult match for Real Madrid, and it would not be a surprise to see the division leaders drop points here. Los Blancos will be determined to bounce back from the Liverpool defeat, though, and we can see the visitors shading a close game on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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