Rescheduled Matchday 12 in La Liga between Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano will take place on December 18 at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal vs. Rayo Vallecano: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Alejandro José Hernández Hernández (Spain)
Matches – 7 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 35;
Average yellow cards per match – 5;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 29%.
Predicted lineups for Villarreal vs. Rayo Vallecano
Villarreal (4-4-2): Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Raul Albiol, Kiko Femenia, Eric Bailly – Dani Parejo, Yeremy Pino, Alex Baena, Pape Gueye – Gerard Moreno, Ayoze Perez.
Rayo Vallecano (4-4-2): Augusto Batalla – Florian Lejeune, Abdul Mumin, Andrei Ratiu, Pep Chavarria – Unai Lopez, Jorge de Frutos, Adrian Embarba, Pathé Ciss – Randy Nteka, Isi Palazon.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Villarreal
Marcelino Garcia's side hasn't tasted victory in their last four La Liga matches. During this run, they drew 2-2 with Osasuna and Girona, then lost to Athletic (0-2) and Betis (1-2). The team remains sixth in the standings but has fallen behind the top four by seven points. However, they still have a chance to close the gap on fourth-placed Bilbao, as they have two games in hand.
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Villarreal's last 6 La Liga games.
- Both teams have scored in 15 of the last 18 matches for the Valencian side in La Liga.
- One of the teams has won with a "clean sheet" in the first half in nine of the club's previous league matches.
Rayo Vallecano
The Madrid side delighted their fans in the last round by playing to a thrilling 3-3 draw with city rivals Real Madrid. Before that, they defeated Valencia 1-0 away. These results have slightly improved Iñigo Pérez's side's league position: the club remains 13th but has increased its lead over the relegation zone to six points. It's worth noting that Rayo Vallecano's away matches in the current La Liga season are among the lowest-scoring, averaging just 1.5 goals.
- A maximum of three goals have been scored in 36 of the last 39 games for the club in La Liga.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final score in 8 of Rayo Vallecano's last 9 league matches.
- At least one team has failed to score in 11 of the last 14 away games for the Madrid side in La Liga.
Villarreal vs. Rayo Vallecano: Match Prediction
In the upcoming match, I favor the hosts, who are due to break their four-match winless streak in the league. Such long runs have not occurred in La Liga since October 2023. Villarreal performs well at home, losing only three of their last 18 La Liga matches, and those defeats came against teams competing for top positions. Additionally, the Valencian side has defeated the Madrid club at the Estadio de la Cerámica in 8 of their last 9 La Liga meetings.
The match promises to be high-scoring. I expect both teams to find the net. Villarreal is on a 15-match scoring streak at home in La Liga, and they have also conceded in 9 of their last 10 home league matches. The Valencian side has already conceded 27 goals in the current La Liga season – only four clubs have worse defensive records. I am confident that even Rayo Vallecano will capitalize on such defensive errors. My prediction – Home win and both teams to score – yes.
