| Real Madrid vs Rayo | |
| MATCH | La Liga |
| DATE | 13 - 09 - 2026 |
| TIME | 12.30 AM IST |
| STADIUM | Santiago Bernabéu |
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: Match Preview
Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways in La Liga when they welcome Rayo Vallecano to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos began the season with three consecutive victories over Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Malaga, collecting nine points from a possible 12. Their winning run was halted by a narrow 1-0 defeat against Real Betis, leaving them third in the table and three points behind leaders Barcelona.
Despite that setback, Real Madrid go into the match with renewed confidence after beating Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League. The result should provide a boost as they look to keep pace with Barcelona in the early stages of the league campaign.
Madrid's record against Rayo is another reason for optimism. They have won 34 of their last 48 meetings in all competitions, losing just seven, while scoring 121 goals in the process. However, Rayo have proved difficult opponents in recent league meetings, with four of the last six encounters ending in draws. Real Madrid won the most recent meeting 2-1 in February.
Rayo finished eighth in La Liga last season and narrowly missed out on European qualification by just one point. They have collected four points from their first four matches this term and currently sit 14th.
Their opening fixtures produced a mixed run of results. Rayo lost 2-1 at Sevilla, drew 1-1 with Alaves and then suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat against Barcelona. They responded positively, though, with a 3-2 victory over Racing de Santander on September 5.
Team News
Real Madrid are still without several injured players. Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy are expected to miss the match, while Andriy Lunin could return after recovering from illness.
Bernardo Silva, Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga are available again after serving suspensions in the Champions League.
Aurelien Tchouameni made his return from a muscular injury as a substitute against Inter Milan, but he is unlikely to start. Bernardo is expected to feature in midfield instead.
Kylian Mbappe should lead the Real Madrid attack, with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler providing attacking support.
Rayo Vallecano will also be missing several players. Augusto Batalla, Jozhua Vertrouwd, Luiz Felipe and Isi Palazon are sidelined through injury, while Fran Perez and Jorge de Frutos are suspended.
Marash Kumbulla remains doubtful and will face a late fitness test.
One player Real Madrid will need to watch closely is Sergio Camello. The Rayo forward has made an excellent start to the season, scoring five goals in four appearances, and he is expected to spearhead the visitors' attack.
With Real Madrid chasing the top of the table and Rayo looking to climb away from mid-table, the encounter at the Bernabeu promises to be an intriguing La Liga contest.
Raseen
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