Atletico Madrid are picking up the pieces having seen their challenge end on three different fronts since the start of last month. They are hoping for a morale-boosting derby win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Thursday.
It was a 1-0 defeat at Las Palmas at the weekend that put the final nail in their coffin as far as their title hopes were concerned. Diego Simeone dropped Antoine Griezmann for that match, with Alexander Sorloth partnering Julian Alvarez in attack, but they couldn’t get much going in a flat team performance.
After a club-record winning streak in the winter, things have unravelled ever so quickly in recent weeks, and once again this feels like an Atletico Madrid squad that may be in need of major surgery this summer.
Rayo Vallecano will be hoping to sour the mood at the Estadio Metropolitano even further in this game. They are still fighting for a potential European place, but their form has also really dipped with only one win in their last nine league games. That suggests that Inigo Perez’s side may fall just short in their bid to reach the top eight.
How the bookies view it: Home win expected
The bookies are still banking on the hosts, with Atletico Madrid on offer at 8/15 to claim their 12th home league victory of the campaign. The draw is available at 16/5, while Rayo make the short trip across the Spanish capital as the 6/1 underdogs.
Recent head-to-head: A one-sided rivalry
This particular Madrid derby has been quite one-sided in recent years, with Rayo having little success against their city rivals. They’ve made four trips to the Estadio Metropolitano to play Atleti so far, losing three times and drawing once. Rayo haven’t beaten Atletico Madrid in La Liga since a 2-1 home win in the 2012/13 season.
Players to watch: Alvarez spearheading the Atleti attack
It’s unclear who his partner will be here, but Alvarez is continuing to impress up front in what has been a strong first season in Spain from the Argentina international. The 25-year-old has had five shots on target and scored three goals in his last three league games, and he’s on offer at 7/4 with William Hill to have over 1.5 shots on target in this game.
Predicted Lineups
Simeone has a full squad to pick from, and may opt for light changes following a disappointing defeat on Saturday night in Gran Canaria.
As for Rayo, they may continue with Pathe Ciss at centre-back in this game, while Unai Lopez is pushing for a start in midfield. The injured Abdul Mumin misses out again.
Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Azpilicueta, Gimenez, Le Normand, Llorente, Lino, Barrios, De Paul, Simeone, Alvarez, Sorloth.
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Chavarria, Ciss, Lejeune, Ratiu, Gumbau, Diaz, A. Garcia, U. Lopez, De Frutos, Nteka.
Anything else catch the eye?
Atleti still have a very strong home record this season, losing just once in La Liga at the Estadio Metropolitano and winning 11. With Rayo’s road games averaging just 1.81 goals per game, we may not see a huge amount of action in this game, and you can back Atletico Madrid to win and under 3.5 total goals at 11/10 with BoyleSports.
With the same bookmaker, Rayo Vallecano are also on offer at 5/6 to have over 3.5 corners. They’ve competed pretty well on their travels this term and their average of 5.00 corners per away game in La Liga suggests that’s a bet that could land.
This La Liga match between Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano will be played on and kick off at 20:30. Check below for our tipsters best Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
GambleAware