Valencia vs Rayo Vallecano predictions and match preview for Monday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Los Che target a third straight home win.
| Date | Monday 3rd April 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (CET) |
| Stadium | Mestalla |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Valencia vs Rayo Vallecano Preview
Valencia and Rayo Vallecano meet in the Monday night game in LaLiga Santander. The home team start the night in the relegation zone and in real need of a victory as we head into the business end of the season.
It’s 2 home wins but 3 away defeats for Ruben Baraja so far as Valencia boss. He’ll probably be content enough with that return given they’ve had some tough fixtures but the next six matches will be vital when it comes to determining Valencia’s fate. After this fixture against Rayo, they have five straight games against current bottom eight teams and it’s going to be fascinating to see how this relatively young side copes with the pressure of those relegation six-pointers.
The Mestalla crowd will have a role to play too. They will get behind Baraja and his team again on Monday and the Valencia boss should be in a position to name his strongest lineup with no major selection issues. Exactly what that eleven will look like is still up for debate though. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and left-back Jose Gaya are perhaps the only players who could be classed as undisputed starters with competition across the pitch.
Rayo Vallecano by comparison, have a very settled starting team with perhaps only one position up for debate. That’s up front where Raul De Tomas and Sergio Camello are competing for one place with the club’s high profile signing doing little yet to suggest he is worthy of dislodging the 22 year old. With Camello only on loan though, Andoni Iraola may feel the need to get De Tomas bedded into this side before the season is out.
The visitors don’t take much form into this game. They are winless in six league outings after a 2-2 draw in their last home outing against Girona. Their last away game was a miserable 3-0 defeat in Vigo, yet Rayo will still go 7th with a victory here, a position that may well be good enough for European football in 2023/24, something that would be a fantastic achievement for the Madrid-based club.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Valencia
| INJURED | Domenech |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Mamardashvili – Gaya, Diakhaby, Ozkacar, Foulquier – Almeida, Guillamon, Musah – Lino, Cavani, Castillejo (4-3-3)
Coach: Ruben Baraja
Rayo Vallecano
| INJURED | |
| DOUBTFUL | Saveljich |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Dimitrievski – Fran Garcia, Catena, Lejeune, Balliu – Comesana, Valentin – Alvaro Garcia, Trejo, Isi – Camello (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Andoni Iraola
Score Prediction: Valencia 1-0 Rayo Vallecano
In their last two home games, Valencia have dug deep and got the result they needed and a repeat would be no surprise here. Rayo are clearly experiencing something of a dip in form and the goals have dried up a bit too with Iraola’s side failing to score in 3 of their last 4 matches.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga match predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
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