Preview: Rayo Vallecano vs Levante – prediction, team news, lineups

Rayo Vallecano will be aiming to make it successive wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Levante on Monday night.

The capital side are 15th in the La Liga table, six points above the relegation zone, while Levante are 19th, four points behind 17th-placed Elche in the battle to stay in the division.

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Match preview

Rayo will enter Monday’s match off the back of a 3-1 win over Samsunspor in the first leg of their last-16 clash in the Conference League, with the capital outfit therefore in a strong position when it comes to advancing to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Inigo Perez‘s side are 15th in the La Liga table, boasting a record of seven wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats from 27 matches to collect 31 points.

Rayo are six points above the relegation zone, and they are actually unbeaten in their last five league matches, recording two wins, but they drew 1-1 with Sevilla last time out.

Los Franjirrojos have only actually lost twice at home in Spain’s top flight this season, drawing seven of their 13 matches in front of their own supporters.

Rayo will be looking to do a La Liga double over Levante, having recorded a 3-0 victory when the two teams locked horns for the reverse match earlier this season.

Levante just about lead the overall head-to-head record between the two sides, recording 15 wins to Rayo’s 13, while there have also been 11 draws.

The Frogs recorded a 4-2 win over Rayo in the corresponding match in 2021-22, and they have been victorious in two of their last four games against the capital outfit.

Luis Castro‘s side are 19th in the La Liga table, four points behind 17th-placed Elche, so a win on Monday would give their survival hopes a huge boost.

Levante have the worst defensive record in Spain’s top flight this season, conceding 45 times in their 27 matches, but they have actually picked up four points from their last two games, beating Alaves before drawing with Girona.

Three of Levante’s five league wins this season have actually come on their travels, and they will be the fresher of the two teams on Monday night.

Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:

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Rayo Vallecano form (all competitions):

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Levante La Liga form:

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Team News

Rayo will be without the services of Diego Mendez through injury, but the home side are otherwise in strong shape for their clash with Levante.

Head coach Perez is expected to shuffle his pack on Monday, with the team having more than one eye on next week’s second leg with Samsunspor.

Alemao scored twice on Thursday but is expected to drop to the bench here, with Jorge de Frutos in line for a spot in the final third of the field, while Isi Palazon and Ilias Akhomach could both be rested.

Levante, meanwhile, are without the services of Roger Brugue, Pablo Martinez and Carlos Alvarez through injury, while Unai Elgezabal, Ugo Raghouber and Kareem Tunde are major doubts.

The visitors will also be missing Adrian de la Fuente and Jon Olasagasti through suspension.

Carlos Espi has scored three times in his last two appearances for Levante, and the 20-year-old is once again expected to feature in the final third of the field.

Etta Eyong has not started since February 8, and the Cameroon international is once again expected to be among the substitutes for the first whistle.

Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:

Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mendy, Espino; Valentin, Gumbau; Martin, Diaz, A Garcia; De Frutos

Levante possible starting lineup:

Ryan; Toljan, Matturro, Moreno, Sanchez; Arriaga, Rey; V Garcia, Romero, Cortes; Espi

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We say: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Levante

 

Rayo will certainly have one eye on next week’s Conference League last-16 second leg, and that should work in Levante’s favour – we are struggling to back the visitors to win here, but we are expecting them to be good enough for a share of the spoils.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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