Rayo Vallecano vs Valencia predictions and match preview for Saturday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Los Che travel to Vallecas.
| Date | Saturday 10th September 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 14:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Vallecas |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Rayo Vallecano vs Valencia Preview
Saturday’s action in LaLiga starts in Vallecas with a game that is tough to call. Rayo Vallecano are hoping to finally get back to winning ways in front of their own fans while Valencia will fancy they can build on a thumping five-goal win against Getafe last time out.
Rayo haven’t won a home league game in 2022 and that run will start to become a major concern if it doesn’t end soon. Andoni Iraola’s side were fantastic on their own ground at the start of last season but a tougher fixture list in the second half of the campaign and a slight dip in standards has contributed to that winless run. They’d have fancied ending it in their first home game of this season, but a 2-0 defeat to Mallorca was not the outcome they were after.
Since then, Rayo have suffered a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna to leave them on 4 points from 4 games after they started the season brightly on the road with two games in the city of Barcelona. Overall though, you would expect Rayo to struggle this term, especially after they failed to add another striker late in the window despite interest in Diego Costa and Raul De Tomas.
Valencia did do plenty of late business and their disappointment at losing homegrown talent Carlos Soler was eased by a fine display last weekend against Getafe. They routed the Madrid side 5-1 with a number of young players impressing. Yunus Musah was excellent in midfield while new signings Samuel Lino, Samu Castillejo and Nico Gonzalez all got on the scoresheet.
There is a sense of positivity around Valencia now and much of that comes from Gennaro Gattuso who has made an immediate impact. He not only appears to be getting the best out of players but has also managed to help inspire a radical alteration in terms of style. Valencia average 62.7% possession this season, the highest figure of any team in LaLiga whereas last season only three teams had a lower share of the ball.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Rayo
| INJURED | Andres Martin, Salvi Sanchez |
| DOUBTFUL | Diego Lopez |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Dimitrievski – Garcia, Catena, Lejeune, Balliu – Ciss, Valentin – Alvaro Garcia, Trejo, Isi – Falcao (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Andoni Iraola
Fantasy Star: Alejandro Catena
Valencia
| INJURED | Domenech |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED | Ilaix Moriba |
Possible XI: Mamardashvili – Lato, Diakhaby, Paulista, Correia – Musah, Guillamon, Nico Gonzalez – Lino, Duro, Castillejo (4-3-3)
Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
Fantasy Star: Gabriel Paulista
Score Prediction: Rayo 1-2 Valencia
Valencia look like a confident team and their young players have the freedom to express themselves. Whether they have enough to keep that going over the course of the season is debatable but for now they are riding a wave and enjoying life under Gennaro Gattuso. They may have enough to claim three points here given Rayo’s miserable home record this calendar year.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
