Cadiz will continue their quest for only their second win of the La Liga season on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Estadio de Vallecas to take on Rayo Vallecano. The match is scheduled to take place at the stadium.
The away team presently sits in 19th place in the standings with seven points after playing a string of four consecutive draws in the league, whilst Rayo is currently in the 10th position in the table after collecting 12 points during their first 10 matches of the season.
Our Match Preview: Rayo Vallecano vs Cadiz
Rayo have only won two of their past three La Liga matches, and they haven’t won since the beginning of the month when they beat Elche 2-1.
Andoni Iraola’s squad has gotten off to a good start this season, with a record of 3 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses (for a total of 12 points) from their first 10 games.
Rayo will also approach this encounter with confidence after holding Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 draw at Wanda Metropolitano last weekend. The match was tied with a last-gasp goal from veteran attacker Radamel Falcao.
After returning to the top level and finishing 12th in La Liga last season, Los Franjirrojos are looking to create history by becoming the first team to play in Spain’s top league in consecutive seasons since 2016.
Last year, Rayo beat Cadiz 3-1 at home, but lost to the Pirates, 2-0, on the road in the return match at Nuevo Mirandilla.
Cadiz, on the other hand, has finished 12th and 17th in La Liga since being promoted from the Segunda Division in 2020, and they almost avoided relegation last season, finishing only one point above 18th.
El Submarino Amarillo are 19th in the standings after 10 matches, although they are riding a five-game winning streak into this matchup.
Indeed, after losing 4-0 on September 10, Cadiz have gone on a tear, beating Real Valladolid, and drawing with Villarreal, Espanyol, Girona, and Real Betis at home.
Sergio Gonzalez’s squad has been difficult to beat as of late, but they still have to face Atletico Madrid at home and Real Madrid at Bernabeu before the season ends for the World Cup.
Cadiz won’t play again until after the World Cup ends on December 29, so they’ll need to make some progress toward safety before then.
Our Team News: Rayo Vallecano vs Cadiz
It is anticipated that Rayo will be without the services of Oscar Trejo once again owing to a foot ailment, and it is also anticipated that Andres Martin will not participate in the competition due to a shoulder injury.
Raul de Tomas is also unable to play for the club since he joined from Espanyol after the deadline for summer transfers had passed. The striker will have to wait until January before he can compete for the team.
Falcao is expected to get the nod over Sergio Camello in the final third of the field again, as head coach Iraola is expected to keep faith with the majority of the side that started against Atletico the last time out.
However, there could be a change in the midfield, with Santi Comesana possibly replacing Jose Angel Pozo. As for Cadiz, Joseba Zaldua will be unable to play due to a knee injury that he sustained in the scoreless draw with Real Betis.
As a result, Isaac Carcelen may be given the opportunity to start in Zaldua’s place in the starting lineup.
Ruben Alcaraz is also anticipated to make his way into the starting lineup for the team in the center midfield position, but other than that, it might be the same lineup that began the scoreless draw with Real Betis.
It is recommended that Anthony Lozano and Lucas Perez start up front for the team, while Alvaro Negredo takes a seat on the bench.
Due to injuries, David Gil, Alvaro Gimenez, Jon Garrido, and Ivan Alejo did not participate in the game against Real Betis. It is anticipated that the same four players will not be available for selection in this match.
- Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup: Dimitrievski Balliu, Mumin, Catena, F Garcia, Valentin, Ciss, Palazon, Comesana, A Garcia, Falcao.
- Cadiz possible starting lineup: Ledesma, Carcelen, Jimenez, Mbaye, Arzamendia, Bongonda, Alcaraz, Alex, Ocampo, Lozano, Perez.
Our Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 2-1 Cadiz
This has the potential to be a very interesting match, and we anticipate it to be a contest that will come down to the wire.
Cadiz are not currently losing games, but Rayo will be boosted by their excellent result against Atletico, and we are picking the home team to win this match by a score of 2-1. Cadiz are currently unbeaten in their last five games.