Rayo Vallecano take on the visitors Real Madrid in the round 17 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Friday, December 14th at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas (Madrid).
Rayo Vallecano show improvement. The "Bees" did not have an especially bright season last year, finishing in 17th place with 38 points—exactly one point per match played. On the positive side, the Madrid-based club managed to stay ahead of Cádiz, their nearest relegation rival, by five points. To strengthen their squad, Rayo brought back James Rodríguez to Madrid. While the Colombian star performed well in South America, he has struggled to make an impact since returning to Europe. Despite this, the team has been able to earn points without relying heavily on him. Although Rayo ended the autumn with a string of losses interrupted only by a Copa del Rey victory over Salamanca, they managed to bounce back. In their match against Valencia, they scored early and held onto the lead to secure a crucial three points.
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Real Madrid, reunited with Carlo Ancelotti, have been consistently collecting trophies in recent years. However, they often experience dips in form every other season. After winning the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga, and yet another Champions League, the team appears to be in a down cycle. This season began promisingly with a UEFA Super Cup victory, but setbacks quickly followed, starting with a stumble in the first round of La Liga. Real Madrid has struggled in both domestic and European competitions. In the Champions League, the defending champions have already suffered defeats to Lyon, Monaco, and Liverpool. Nonetheless, they closed out the year with an important 3-2 win against Atalanta. In La Liga, Real Madrid’s campaign began unevenly, including a 0-4 loss to Barcelona at home. Despite recovering with consecutive wins and taking advantage of Barcelona's slip-ups, Real faltered again against Athletic Bilbao, with Mbappé missing another penalty. However, they regained some momentum by demolishing Girona.
In their last four encounters, Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid each secured one victory, with the other two matches ending in draws during the 2023/2024 season. While Real Madrid has been inconsistent, they are still expected to secure all three points against a weaker opponent. We predict an away win for the "Merengues."
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win.
