Real Madrid will be eyeing a fifth straight win in the league when they hit the road to face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Having suffered a defeat in the midweek UEFA Champions League game against Liverpool, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid would love to return to winning ways against Rayo Vallecano, who recently secured a win in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The home team are tenth on the points table with 14 points in their 11 outings, with four wins, two draws and five defeats. Prior to their 4-0 defeat to Villarreal, Rayo Vallecano were on an impressive three-match winning streak in the league.

While they did return to winning ways against Lech Poznan in the Conference League, going up against Real Madrid will be a completely different challenge. The hosts will certainly look to put up a fight against the team in white, but they might struggle to get the desired result.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are top of the table in La Liga with 30 points in their 11 outings, with ten wins and a defeat. Since losing to Atletico Madrid, they have won all four of their league fixtures. However, Xabi Alonso’s team suffered a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool away from home.

The Merengues were clearly the second-best team on the night, and the Spanish manager will be hoping for a proper response from his team. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Rayo Vallecano

The home team will be without the services of Luiz Felipe (hamstring) and Abdul Mumin (knee), while Diego Mendez is also a major doubt. Rayo Vallecano will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Augusto Batalla will be in goal.

Andrei Ratiu and Pep Chavarría will feature as the full-backs, while Florian Lejeune will pair up with Nobel Mendy in the heart of the defence. As for the midfield unit, Pathe Ciss will start alongside Oscar Valentin and Pedro Diaz in the centre of the park.

The Rayo Vallecano midfield trio will look to ensure the Real Madrid midfielders do not dominate the proceedings. In the final third, Jorge de Frutos and Alvaro Garcia will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Alemao will spearhead the Rayo Vallecano attack against Real Madrid.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Chavarria; Ciss, Valentin, Diaz; De Frutos, Alemao, Alvaro Garcia

Real Madrid

Aurelien Tchouameni has picked up a hamstring injury, and he could be sidelined for around four weeks. The French international joins Antonio Rudiger (hamstring), Dani Carvajal (knee), David Alaba (calf), and Franco Mastantuono (pubic issue) on the treatment table.

Los Blancos will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will start in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold should return to the starting XI. He will take charge on the right, while there should be a rare start for Fran Garcia on the left.

In the heart of the defence, Dean Huijsen should partner with Eder Militao. With Tchouameni out injured, Federico Valverde will take charge in the holding role, while Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham will be in his support.

In the final third, Rodrygo could get an opportunity to start out wide on the right flank. Vinicius Junior will continue on the left, while Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for Real Madrid against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Huijsen, Garcia; Valverde, Guler, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior

Key Stats

• Rayo Vallecano have only secured five points from their four home fixtures.
• They are set to host a Real Madrid outfit that have picked up 12 points from their five away games.
• Los Blancos have won each of their last four league outings.
• Rayo Vallecano have only won seven out of their last 46 matches against Real Madrid.
• However, they have secured a draw in three out of their last four games against Los Blancos.

Player to Watch

Arda Guler

Embed from Getty Images

While all the limelight tends to be on the stars in the team, Guler has been one of the standout performers for the team in white. The switch to midfield has certainly worked in his favour. The Turk has been a regular feature in their starting XI, and his link-up with Kylian Mbappe in particular has stood out.

The 20-year-old Turkish gem has also contributed in the final third. He has three goals and five assists in his 11 league outings. Given the kind of consistency he has shown, Guler can certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture.

Prediction

Rayo Vallecano 1-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid will be eager to bounce back from their midweek defeat against Liverpool when they travel to face Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Xabi Alonso’s men have been in dominant form domestically, sitting top of the La Liga table after four straight league wins. Despite a few key injuries, Los Blancos possess enough depth and quality to overcome any setback.

Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, will look to build on their recent European win, but facing Real Madrid is a completely different challenge. Their 4-0 defeat to Villarreal exposed defensive vulnerabilities that could be punished by Alonso’s free-flowing attack. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.