Defending La Liga champions Atletico Madrid will welcome Madrid side Rayo Vallecano to the Wanda Metropolitano for their 19th Round game of the 2021/22 La Liga season.
Venue: Wanda Metropolitano (Madrid)
Key Statistics
Atletico Madrid have lost their last four La Liga matches.
They conceded two goals per game in each of those losses.
The hosts have scored just 12 goals at home this season. They have conceded just six times. Only Rayo Vallecano (three) and Real Madrid (five) have conceded fewer goals at home.
Rayo Vallecano have won just one of their away games in La Liga this season (D2, L5).
They have conceded 18 goals this season, with 15 of those coming away from home.
The visitors have lost just two of their last ten competitive games (W6, D2).
Head to head
Atletico Madrid are remarkably dominant in this fixture. They are unbeaten in the last ten head-to-head meetings with Rayo, winning eight of those games.
Latest Performances in all competitions
Atletico: L-L-L-W-L
Rayo Vallecano: W-W-L-W-W
Atletico Madrid
Despite winning the title in 2021, Atletico Madrid ended the year with one of their worst La Liga records ever.
The hosts were beaten 2-1 by Granada in their last outing to leave them trailing Real Madrid by 17 points after 18 games. This resulted in their fourth consecutive loss in the league and extended their wait for a clean sheet to seven games in all competitions.
Rojiblancos lost just four games in their title-winning season, but they have already lost five times this year.
However, despite their many losses, they come into this round of fixtures sitting in fifth, one point behind their visitors in fourth.
With the title a far shot away given their current state, Diego Simeone is hoping to finish in the top two. A win in this game will take them above Rayo into the top four. As such, they will be desperate to get maximum points.
Possible Atletico Madrid starting line-ups
Jan Oblak, Kieran Trippier, Jose Maria Gimenez, Mario Hermoso, Sime Vrsaljko; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Carrasco, Thomas Lemar, Matheus Cunha, Luis Suarez, Antion Griezmann.
Injured: Hector Herrera, Marcos Llorente,
Doubtful: Joao Felix, Koke
Suspended: None
Rayo Vallecano
Unlike their city rivals, Rayo Vallecano ended 2021 on a positive note.
After getting promoted to La Liga in 2021, the visitors continued their positive run in the top flight, winning nine of their opening league games to leave them sitting comfortably in the top four.
Their last outing was against lowly Alaves, and they won the game two-nil. The result ensured that Andoni Iraola’s men finished the year with the best home record this season. The Madrid-based club have won eight of their opening nine home games in the league and are one of the three sides still unbeaten at home this campaign.
However, away from home, Rayo have one of the worst records in the league so far. They are averaging 0.55 goals per home game this season, compared to the 2.77 they are averaging at home.
Such a poor away record places them as the clear outsiders in this tie. But they will be desperate to better that record by picking up points in this fixture.
Possible Rayo Vallecano starting line-ups
Stole Dimitrievski; Ivan Balliu, Estaban Saveljich, Alejandro Catena, Fran Garcia; Oscar Valentin, Santi Comesana; Isaac Palazon, Oscar Trejo, Alvaro Garcia, Sergio Guardiola.
Injured: Radamel Falcao, Martin Meruquelanz, Jose Pozo, Pathe Ciss, Nikol Maras
Doubtful: Lucas Zidane,
Suspended: None
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
