Rayo Vallecano - Real Sociedad predictions and free betting tips [29/10/2023]

Today as part of the 11th leg of the Spanish Primera, Rayo Vallecano will host Real Sociedad on their home ground. The home team currently holds the seventh place in the La Liga tournament table, having gathered 16 points, whilst the Basques trail slightly ahead in fifth place, possessing 18 points from their feats and celebrated a victory over Benfica in the Champions League last week.

Predicted LineUps

Rayo Vallecano: Dimitrievski; Bálliu, Aridán, Lejeune, Espino; Palazón, Sissé, U. López, A. García; De Frutos, Camello.  
Real Sociedad: Remiro; Elustondo, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Muñoz; Mendes, Zubimendi, Merino; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.

Stadium

The standoff will take place in Madrid at the Campo De Vallecas Stadium.

Rayo Vallecano 

Vallecano has been a strong contender near the Eurocup zone for the second season in a row, and just last weekend, they evaded a loss in the Primera for the sixth consecutive time, scoring an away win against Las Palmas (0:1). Prior to that, the hosts triumphed over Alavés and Las Palmas and drew against Villarreal, Cadiz, Mallorca, and Sevilla. With four victories, four draws, and two losses, Vallecano has amassed a total of 16 points. Due to such consistent performance, the Madrid club currently holds seventh place and has lost only one home match in the current campaign to Atletico Madrid with a score of 0:7. After a return to the elite division in the last two La Liga seasons, los franjirrojos achieved the 12th and 11th positions, but now they are definitely capable of climbing higher, and the eighth spot seems like a realistic aim for the team from the capital.

Oscar Valentín, a midfielder who was sent off in the last tour against Las Palmas, will not be in the squad for this match. Nteka (who played for 4 games this season) has been in the infirmary for several weeks and is likely to continue his recovery. As for the rest of the players, Rayo can rely on an optimal squad, with Bebé, who scored last weekend, appearing in the starting lineup. Isi Palazón (9 goals last season) and Sergio Camelo, who transferred from Atletico Madrid this summer (6 goals and 5 assists in last season's championship), are also expected to be on the field from the first minute. Jorge de Frutos is set to contribute to the attack, while Raúl de Tomás is prepared to amplify the play in the second half.

Real Sociedad

This week Real Sociedad secured a valuable victory in the Champions League over Benfica (0:1). It was a crucial confrontation in the battle to advance to the playoffs, as the Basques remained unbeaten in the current group stage, defeating Salzburg in Austria (0:2), and drew with Inter in the first round (1:1). In the championship, the team from San Sebastian chalked up their fourth victory in the last five games last weekend, defeating Mallorca 1:0, with the win coming after a defeat from Atletico Madrid (2:1) before the international break. As a result, Imanol Alguacil's team now has 18 points and sits in fifth place but lags four points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, with a game in hand.

The "white-blue" have a few key matches coming up, including encounters with Barcelona and Benfica in La Liga and the Champions League at the beginning of November. Real Sociedad's head coach, Alguacil, stated that Portuguese forward André Silva, on loan from RB Leipzig, has recently returned to the infirmary. He joins the long-injured Martin Merquelanz, right back Odriozola, who transferred from Real Madrid, and left back Tierney, on loan from Arsenal. Kubo (5 goals, 2 assists in the championship), who started the season brilliantly, was given a rest on the bench at the weekend (he received an international call-up during the break). Brais Mendes (2 goals, 3 assists in La Liga this season) once again scored against Mallorca last weekend and leads the Zebra's attack.

Head-to-Head

Rayo hasn't won against Real Sociedad in La Liga since January 2015, whereas the Basques triumphed in both encounters in the 2022-23 campaign, including a 0:2 victory.

Prediction for the Match Rayo Vallecano – Real Sociedad

This will be a great match in La Liga between two teams that have started the season well and are competing for spots in the Euro cups. However, the guests seem to be the favourite in this matchup. Real Sociedad plays more sharply and has a higher-quality line-up, and the Basques' unbeaten run of seven matches in a row is certainly impressive. Just like last season, Sociedad twice managed to outdo the Madrilenians, so the same is likely to happen this time.

Goals Total Prediction

In the four previous head-to-head matches, the teams didn't score more than 2 goals. Considering the importance of the match's result from a tournament perspective, it makes sense to bet on a low score.