The Matchday 30 La Liga clash between Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol will take place on April 4 at the Campo de Vallecas Stadium in Madrid. Rayo Vallecano vs. Espanyol: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rayo Vallecano
The Madrid side secured a long-awaited victory in the league, defeating Alaves 2-0 away. Prior to that, the team had gone five La Liga matches without a win, drawing twice and losing three times by a narrow margin. Inigo Perez's team sits seventh in the standings, trailing the European competition zone by seven points.
- No more than two goals were scored in 6 of Rayo Vallecano's last 8 La Liga games.
- The Madrid side has not lost in 12 of their last 15 league matches (6 wins, 6 draws).
- Both teams scored in 7 of the club's last 9 home La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1)
Augusto Batalla – Pelayo Fernandez, Andrei Ratiu, Pep Chavarria, Aridane Hernandez – Pathé Ciss, Oscar Trejo – Alvaro Garcia, Randy Nteka, Unai Lopez – Jorge de Frutos.
Espanyol
The Catalan side put in a solid performance in their last match against Atletico. Playing at home, they managed to secure a draw against one of the league leaders (1-1). However, the club's winless streak in La Liga now stands at three matches: before facing the Madrid side, Manolo Gonzalez's team also drew 1-1 at home with Girona and lost 2-1 away to Mallorca. Espanyol remains in the danger zone near the relegation places, leading 18th-placed Leganes by just two points.
- In their last six La Liga matches, the club has achieved only one victory (3 draws, 2 losses).
- Both teams scored in 8 of Espanyol's last 10 league matches.
- The team has conceded in 10 of their last 11 away La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Espanyol (4-4-2)
Joan Garcia – Omar El Hilali, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero, Marash Kumbulla – Jofre Carreras, Urko Gonzalez, Alex Kral, Pol Lozano – Javi Puado, Roberto Fernandez Jaen.
Referee
Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez (Spain)
Matches – 14 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 76;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.4;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 36%.
Rayo Vallecano vs. Espanyol: Match Prediction
Both teams remain highly motivated for the rest of the season, approaching this match with the goal of earning points. A victory is crucial for the Madrid side to reach the European competition spots, while the Catalans need points to secure their place in the Premier League. Therefore, I am hesitant to predict a clear Rayo Vallecano win but am confident that they will at least avoid defeat. Moreover, Inigo Perez's team has lost only once in their last seven home La Liga matches (3 wins, 3 draws).
Espanyol, on the other hand, has been weak away from home, failing to win in 13 of their last 14 away league games (3 draws, 10 losses). The upcoming match is also expected to be high-scoring. At least two goals have been scored in 7 of Rayo Vallecano's last 9 home La Liga matches, as well as in 20 of Espanyol's last 28 away La Liga games. Furthermore, such a goal count has been recorded in 6 of the last 7 head-to-head encounters at Campo de Vallecas in La Liga.
My prediction – 1X and Total over 1.5
