Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways in La Liga when they host Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
After failing to win any of their last three La Liga games, Rayo Vallecano will be eager to get things back on track when they hit the road and travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to square up against Real Madrid, who suffered a massive blow in the title race with a defeat last time out.
The home team have slipped down to third in La Liga, and they are now three points behind league leaders Barcelona. The Merengues suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Betis in their last league outing, and it certainly has not helped their cause.
But, Los Blancos did return to winning ways when they got the better of Atletico Madrid in the first leg tie in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are heading into this one on the back of an important win, and they will be confident of their chances.
Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano are seventh on the points table with 38 points in their 26 outings. While Los Franjirrojos have not won any of their last three league games, they are just two points behind sixth-placed Real Betis. As a result, they can still end up securing a European spot.
The away side’s last outing was a 1-1 draw against Sevilla. While it was a decent performance, they will have to do much better if they want to go past Los Blancos. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
The home side have received a massive boost as Jude Bellingham is available after serving a suspension. The English international is expected to walk straight into the Real Madrid starting eleven against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the team in white remain without the services of Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, and Dani Ceballos. Federico Valverde is also expected to be rested for this one.
Carlo Ancelotti will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia should be the full-backs, with Raul Asencio starting alongside David Alaba at the heart of the defence.
Rodrygo and Bellingham will feature on the flanks in midfield, while Luka Modric could partner with Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre of the park. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will pair up with with Vinicius Junior in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Alaba, Fran Garcia; Rodrygo, Modric, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano Predicted XI
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano will be without quite a few first-team stars for this outing as Raul de Tomas, Abdul Mumin, Randy Nteka, Isi Palazon, Sergio Camello, Unai Lopez, and Jonathan Montiel are all out injured. Meanwhile, Jorge de Frutos is suspended.
Against Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Augusto Batalla will be in goal. Andrei Ratiu and Pep Chavarria will feature as full-backs, while Florian Lejeune will partner with Aridane Hernandez in central defence.
In the centre of the park, Pedro Diaz and Pathe Ciss will form the double pivot in front of the backline. They will look to shield the defence. Adri Embarba and Alvaro Garcia will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Oscar Trejo will take up the number ten role, while Sergio Guardiola will be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Hernandez, Chavarria; Diaz, Cisse; Embarba, Trejo, Alvaro Garcia; Guardiola
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano Predicted XI
Key Stats
Real Madrid have the second-best record at home, having picked up 31 points in their 12 home games.
Rayo Vallecano have a decent away record as they have picked up 17 points from their 13 games.
Los Blancos’ biggest win against Rayo came back in 2015 when they recorded a 10-2 win.
The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a 3-3 draw.
The team in white last lost a home game against Rayo Vallecano back in January 1996.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
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Vinicius Junior does have 27 goal contributions in his 36 outings, but he has not really been at his best in the recent past. The Brazilian international only has one goal in his last seven La Liga outings, and he will be eager to get things back on track as we head into the business end of the season.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Rayo Vallecano
Real Madrid will be determined to bounce back in La Liga and keep their title hopes alive with a strong performance against Rayo Vallecano. With Jude Bellingham returning to the fold and Los Blancos boasting an impressive home record, they will be confident of securing all three points.
While Rayo Vallecano have shown resilience on the road, their injury concerns and recent struggles could make things difficult against a Real Madrid side eager to respond. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges