Real Madrid returns to La Liga action on Saturday as they host Rayo Vallecano in a matchday five encounter of the league at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 12th September.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid.
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid prepares to host their capital rivals following a domestic slip-up against Real Betis, but manager José Mourinho receives a massive boost to his squad depth.
Midfielders Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva, and Eduardo Camavinga are all available for selection after serving continental suspensions during the midweek Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
Additionally, backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has fully recovered from an illness to rejoin the bench. However, the squad is still dealing with notable defensive and attacking absences.
Éder Militão remains sidelined with a muscle injury, while Rodrygo continues his recovery from a knee issue, and Ferland Mendy is out with a hip problem.
In positive defensive news, Raúl Asencio makes his first squad appearance of the season after recovering from a pre-season knee injury. Thibaut Courtois is expected to start behind a backline featuring Denzel Dumfries and Marc Cucurella in the wingback roles.
Rayo Vallecano team news
Rayo Vallecano enters this challenging Madrid derby severely depleted, leaving head coach Beñat San José with major selection headaches across the pitch.
The visitors will be entirely without key attacking threats Fran Pérez and Jorge de Frutos, who are both suspended following red cards against Racing Santander.
The injury list is equally punishing, as forward Randy Nteka was ruled out late after sustaining a muscle strain in training.
He joins goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, who is recovering from tibia fracture surgery, and star playmaker Isi Palazón, who remains out with a muscle injury.
Long-term absentee Raúl de Tomás also misses out, while full-back Ivan Balliu is a major doubt due to heavy ankle bruising.
Dani Cárdenas will start in goal, protected by Florian Lejeune and Pathe Ciss, while Sergio Camello is expected to lead a heavily rotated attack at the Bernabéu.
Form
Real Madrid
Real Madrid enters this match with strong momentum, sitting fourth in La Liga with 9 points from four matches. They started the domestic campaign perfectly with a 2–1 win over Espanyol, a 4–1 thrashing of Real Sociedad, and a 4–0 victory against Málaga. Despite suffering a minor domestic setback in a 1–0 defeat to Real Betis, they immediately bounced back in midweek with a hard-fought 2–1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano has endured a highly inconsistent start to the season under Beñat San José, leaving them 14th in the standings with 4 points. They began with a 2–1 loss to Sevilla and a 1–1 draw against Alavés. After suffering a heavy 5–2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona, they finally found some relief by securing a chaotic 3–2 victory over Racing Santander, despite receiving two late red cards.
Predicted lineups
Real Madrid: Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
Rayo Vallecano: Cardenas; Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Pedrosa; Lopez, Valentin, Diaz; Tsitaishvili, Camello, A Garcia
How to watch Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano?
In the United Kingdom, the Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano match will be broadcast exclusively live on Disney+ Premium.
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