Rayo Vallecano vs Albacete predictions, H2H and match preview for this Wednesday’s Spanish Segunda Division game. Read on for analysis as the 2nd Half of a match which started six months ago, is finally played out!
by Daniel Garcia
Rayo Vallecano vs Albacete Preview
Wednesday evening will see the first professional football in three months take place in Spain as Rayo Vallecano complete their Segunda Division clash with Albacete. The original fixture was controversially abandoned at Half-Time in December after Albacete striker Roman Zozulya was the subject of derogatory chanting from home fans.
There is considerable background to this story. It all goes back to 2017, when Rayo supporters were enraged when shortly after the club signed the player on loan, images surfaced online appearing to show Zozulya’s support for far right ideologies. The loan was quickly annulled by Rayo, whose fanbase largely identifies as staunchly left-wing, but Vallecas had not forgotten the incident. Zozulya was the subject of many chants branding him a Nazi when he visited with Albacete in December. This led to the decision to suspend proceedings at Half-Time, a move which both clubs agreed to.
As for the game itself, the score was 0-0 when it was halted meaning this Wednesday’s 2nd Half will effectively take the form of a 45 minute match. However Albacete will only be able to field ten players after Eddy Silvestre was sent off on the stroke of Half-Time in the original game. Therefore Albacete boss Lucas Alcaraz, who has was only appointed in February, finds himself in the bizarre position of having to pick a ten man side to conclude a game he wasn’t originally even a part of.
The weirdness doesn’t stop there. Given some players who took part in the original fixture have since left, Rayo will also be forced into changes but they can only select from players who were registered to play for them in December. Therefore none of their January signings will be available.
As strange as the circumstances may be, both sides will need to quickly adapt to the situation with three points at stake. Albacete are just one place above the relegation zone, but are unbeaten in five games since appointing Alcaraz. Paco Jemez’s side meanwhile would jump four places to 7th if they are able to make their man advantage count and seal all the points. They drew six of their final eight league games prior to the suspension of football.
Season Recap: Segunda Division 2019/20 Story so Far
Rayo Vallecano vs Albacete Predictions
Score Prediction: 0-0 Draw
Being a man down, Albacete will clearly be happy if this game ends as it currently stands at 0-0. They’d certainly stepped up a gear following the change of coach and they might just be able to frustrate a Rayo side that has struggled for creativity at times this season and has only won one of their last five at home in all competitions.
Their inability to field four January signings (De Frutos, Isi, Yacine Qasmi and Juan Villar), also makes their task considerably trickier and this bizarre encounter may fizzle out into a goalless draw.
Spanish Segunda División Betting Tips (18+)
Get our Segunda betting tips by signing up for free to the LLE All Competitions portfolio on Tipstrr.
Note that while our predictions are well researched and written by football writers based in Spain, we don’t guarantee any long-term profits if you’re backing our tips. Only bet what you can afford to lose. See BeGambleAware for more on responsible gambling.
Rayo Vallecano vs Albacete H2H
- Last 6 Competitive Meetings: 1 Rayo Win, 5 Draws.
- These sides have met since the original clash (not included in these figures), drawing 1-1 in Albacete in February.
- The last 2 meetings in Vallecas and 5 of the last 6 overall have ended level.
- Albacete haven’t beaten Rayo in a competitive setting since a 3-0 win here in 2009.
Watch Rayo – Albacete
If you are not in Spain, you can watch the game for free on the official LaLiga SmartBank Youtube Channel (select watch on YouTube):
Check out all our Spanish football match previews as football finally returns following the coronavirus outbreak.
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