Rayo Vallecano are hoping to secure progress into the league phase of the Conference League on Thursday. They hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg against Neman.
Inigo Perez sprung a bit of a surprise by resting many key players in what was the club’s first European fixture in more than 20 years. La Liga is clearly still going to be the priority for Rayo, but they got the job done nonetheless, beating their Belarussian opponents 1-0 in Hungary, thanks to a late goal from substitute Alvaro Garcia.
They were back in action on Monday night, losing 1-0 away to Athletic Club in the league. However, they’ll still be content enough with their return of three points from two road games so far in Spain. There should be a cracking atmosphere in Vallecas on Thursday, as they bid to secure at least six more European dates before the end of 2025.
Neman were clearly handicapped by not really benefitting from home advantage last week. They were second best in the game, but did create a couple of clear opportunities and registered four shots on target. Igor Kovalevich’s side have registered two away wins in the competition so far, but were beaten on the road by Faroese side KI in the last round.
How the bookies view it: Rayo should take care of business
Rayo Vallecano are priced at 2/11 to win the game with Boylesports. You can back the draw at 5/1, while Neman Grodno are available at 10/1 to cause a major upset by winning in 90 minutes.
Recent head-to-head: Rayo to keep it tight again?
In what is only their second ever European campaign, last week was unsurprisingly the first time Rayo had faced Neman. They won the game to nil, and with home advantage there may be value in backing a repeat outcome at 5/6 with Boylesports.
Players to watch: Nteka’s time to shine?
The hosts have some significant problems in the final third in terms of not having a convincing striker option. Several players have filled in there, and Randy Nteka may get the job again on Thursday. He’s far from prolific, but as a number nine against such limited opposition, odds of 5/1 for Nteka to score first with Coral look appealing.
Predicted Lineups
Rotation is again expected from the Spaniards following their recent league game. Abdul Mumin and Nobel Mendy are both out injured, which leaves the hosts a bit light on options for changes at the back.
The visitors are missing forward Leonard Gweth to injury once more.
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Espino, Vertrouwd, Lejeune, Balliu, Gumbau, Valentin, F. Perez, Trejo, Camello, Nteka.
Neman: Belov, Pantya, Parkhomenko, Sadownichy, Kuchinsky, Kazlow, Yakimov, Suchkow, Pushnyakov, Yevdokimov, Savitski.
Anything else catch the eye?
The rotation we’re expecting from the hosts may see their best attacking players such as Isi Palazon, Jorge de Frutos and Alvaro Garcia drop to the bench.
That alone suggests they won’t run riot here, and they don’t really need to. Backing Rayo Vallecano to win and under 3.5 goals at 21/20 with Boylesports could be worth considering.
GambleAware