La Liga: Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano meet in a midweek La Liga battle this week at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Friday morning. Both sides will feel they fell just short of their season goals, but motivation to finish strongly should remain high in both camps.

Atletico return to home turf after suffering a last-minute defeat on the road against Las Palmas. Vallecano, meanwhile, come to this tie after sharing the spoils with Valencia. Read on for our football betting tips on this fixture, including a $9 punt with top football betting site Bet365.

Atletico Madrid 

Atletico Madrid saw their fading title hopes dim with a 1-0 defeat at Gran Canaria. Los Colchoneros are now in third place with 63 points, trailing table toppers Barcelona by 10 points after 32 weeks. That result has seen the best online sports betting sites lengthening Atletico’s odds of winning the league.

A six-game winless run mid-season ultimately derailed Atletico Madrid’s hopes of lifting silverware. Back-to-back league defeats to Barcelona and Getafe have further dented their title ambitions. With a top-four finish all but secured, Diego Simeone’s side has looked like a team running low on motivation.

Team News: Rodrigo de Paul was subbed on before the hour mark at Gran Canaria. The Argentina international should replace Koke in the starting XI. Antoine Griezmann should also expect to start this game. 

Predicted Lineup: Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Lenglet, Galan; Simeone, Barrios, De Paul, Gallagher; Griezmann, Alvarez

Rayo Vallecano

Not long ago, Rayo were in the mix for a top-six finish, but a dip in form has seen them slip to tenth in the table. Atletico’s Madrid neighbours come into this fixture on the back of a stalemate with in-form Valencia. So, there has been a renewed sense of optimism for Inigo Perez’s men across betting apps ahead of this tie. 

Recent struggles aside, it’s been a solid campaign for Vallecano. After flirting with relegation last season, they’ve shown real progress, and though Europe looks unlikely, a top-half finish remains well within their grasp.

Team News: Jonathan Montiel and Abdul Mumin will be unavailable for Vallecano again. Sergio Camello is nearing a return, but the trip to Metropolitano might come too soon for him. 

Predicted Lineup: Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Hernandez, Chavarria; Diaz, Ciss; De Frutos, Lopez, Embarba; A Garcia

• Rayo Vallecano have not beaten Atletico Madrid since 2013
• Atletico Madrid have won nine of their last 10 home games against Vallecano with an aggregate score of 25-7
• Four of the last five clashes between these two have seen goals at both ends

Vallecano haven’t enjoyed much success at the Metropolitano in recent years, but this time, they arrive with reasons to feel quietly confident. Despite just one win in their last eight, a draw here would represent a strong return, and one worth backing.

Los Franjirrojos have already held Atletico once this season, earning a point in the reverse fixture back in September. Isi Palazon opened the scoring in the 35th minute, but Connor Gallagher levelled the contest 14 minutes later.

Atletico failed to get anything against relegation candidates Las Palmas last weekend. With title hopes all but over in every competition, Simeone’s side are clearly low on confidence—something Vallecano could capitalise on in their bid to earn another draw against their Madrid rivals. 

No Goalscorer - $9

We looked at extended markets for the Atletico Madrid-Rayo Vallecano and felt the best deal sat at Bet365. 

Low-scoring games have been a theme for Rayo away from home, with nine of their last 11 La Liga trips producing fewer than three goals.

Atletico’s matches have generally featured more goals this season, but a closer look at their last eight home games shows a different trend—six of those have seen under 2.5 goals. So, we believe we will see a goalless affair play out over the 90 minutes in this match.