Rayo Vallecano vs Osasuna predictions and match preview for Friday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Osasuna travel to Vallecas.
| Date | Friday 14th April 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (CET) |
| Stadium | Vallecas |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Rayo Vallecano vs Osasuna Preview
Rayo Vallecano meet in the opening fixture of matchday 29 in LaLiga Santander. Both sides have faltered a bit following bright openings to the season but both remain within touching distance of 7th and a potential European place.
It’s eight without a win in LaLiga now for Rayo Vallecano. They have drawn five of those games so things aren’t quite as bad as that sounds but they aren’t looking anywhere near as convincing in the final third as was the case earlier in the season. They’ve only scored six times across that period and they come into this one on the back of a 2-1 derby defeat at home to Atletico Madrid.
Fran Garcia’s late strike briefly gave Rayo hope but they were already a goal and a man down by that stage with Florian Lejeune seeing red. The centre-back will be suspended here as a result and his absence is certainly a major blow to Rayo’s chances of winning what is an important game in the race for a potential Conference League place which will go to the 7th place side should Real Madrid beat Osasuna in the Copa del Rey Final.
As a result of that game, Osasuna have two shots at European football and unquestionably that showdown with Los Blancos in Seville will already be on the minds of their players and fans alike. However the reality is that they’ll be huge underdogs in the cup final so they’ll be trying to pick up as many points as possible in LaLiga before then.
Osasuna did claim a somewhat overdue league win last time out, although they had to fight back from behind against bottom club Elche. Abde Ez added to his growing reputation with a Second Half brace to seal a 2-1 victory and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Barcelona loanee this summer with his parent club likely to sense an opportunity to cash in, unless Xavi has seen enough to be convinced of his potential to play a part for the Catalan giants next season.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Rayo Vallecano
| INJURED | |
| DOUBTFUL | Fran Garcia |
| BANNED | Lejeune |
Possible XI: Dimitrievski – Fran Garcia, Catena, Mumin, Balliu – Comesana, Valentin – Alvaro Garcia, Trejo, Isi – Camello (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Andoni Iraola
Osasuna
| INJURED | Ruben Garcia, Avila, Torro, Brasanac |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Aitor – Juan Cruz, Aridane, David Garcia, Vidal – Moi Gomez, Moncayola, Ibanez – Abde, Budimir, Barja (4-3-3)
Coach: Jagoba Arrasate
Score Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Osasuna
This game has a real possibility of ending in a draw with only one point separating the sides in the table and neither enjoying their most convincing period in the season. The onus will be on Rayo to dictate the pace of the game with home advantage but they are struggling a bit for goals at the moment and chances won’t come easily against a strong Osasuna defence.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga match 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.
