Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol prediction: team news, lineups, expert analysis
LaLiga Spain
In the 6th round of La Liga on September 15, 2026, Rayo Vallecano will face Espanyol. Both sides will be looking to secure a positive result.
Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol team news and expert analysis
The Madrid club finished both of the previous two seasons in eighth place. In 2025/2026, they also began their Conference League campaign in the summer qualifying rounds and only bowed out after losing in the final. During the summer, Perez was replaced as head coach by San Jose. His team made a difficult start, suffering defeats alongside a draw with Alaves. They finally secured their first victory against Racing, winning 3-2. However, they were then thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid.
The Barcelona side made a strong start to last season but suffered a sharp decline after the winter break. In the end, they finished with 46 points in eleventh place. The new campaign began with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Levante, but they then lost to both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. They also only avoided defeat against Sevilla at the very last moment despite having a numerical advantage. Their only other victory came against Osasuna, and it was a convincing 2-0 success.
The capital club are scoring 1.6 goals per game but conceding 2.8. The Catalans are currently scoring 1.6 goals per match while conceding just 1.
Head to Head matches: Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol
After four consecutive victories, the Catalans lost in Madrid in the spring.
The hosts need to collect points and are favourites here. Nevertheless, we would rather back both teams to score (odds – 1.80).
Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol: key statistics and trends
- Rayo Vallecano have lost three of their five matches
- 100% of Rayo Vallecano's matches have featured goals from both teams, with an average total of 4.4 goals per game
- Espanyol are unbeaten in two consecutive matches
- 60% of Espanyol's matches have featured goals from both teams, with an average total of 2.6 goals per game
Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol: Possible starting lineups
Rayo Vallecano play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (possible lineup): Cardenas - Vertraud, Ciss, Lejeune, Balliu - Gnanngoro, Valentin - Garcia, Lopez, de Frutos - Camello
Espanyol play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (possible lineup): Dmitrovic - Inoho, Nunez, Drkusic, El Hilali - Exposito, Gonzalez - Dolan, Hernandez, Calatrava - Fernandez
Follow the La Liga standings and keep up to date with your team's form before placing a bet on the next match.
