Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano

Metropolitano Stadium sets the stage for an exciting La Liga showdown between Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.

Atletico Madrid’s title hopes have evaporated in recent weeks, with the hosts languishing 13 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona after a dismal 1-0 defeat at relegation-battling Las Palmas last weekend. For further context, Diego Simeone’s charges would be eighth if only considering top-flight matches played in 2025, highlighting their epic fall from grace this calendar year. Indeed, the abovementioned loss to Las Palmas marked Atletico’s fifth defeat in nine matches across all competitions (W3, D1) – a run that includes exits in the Champions League and Copa del Rey. Rayo Vallecano’s visit to the capital promises to help Los Colchoneros get back on track down the final stretch, not least because they boast an intimidating 17-game unbeaten H2H streak (W13, D4) despite drawing 1-1 in this season’s reverse fixture.

Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano would need to post their first away win against Atletico in La Liga since 1999 (D1, L9) to bounce back from an underwhelming three-match winless league run (D1, L2). Three points behind eighth-placed Mallorca, the visitors need to rewrite the club’s modern history to lock down a place in next season’s UEFA Conference League. However, just one win from their last nine league outings (D3, L5) paints a bleak picture for the traveling side. Furthermore, they have failed to win a league game against teams starting this round in the top seven this term (D4, L7), highlighting the size of the task ahead. Still, delivering action from the get-go, Vallecano have netted the opening goal in 18 La Liga matches this season.