Rayo Vallecano currently rank 12th in La Liga, collecting 22 points in 18 matches. The team progressed through the next round of Copa Del Rey with a 3-1 victory against Galician club Racing de Ferrol. Alfonso Espino scored in the 8th minute, while Jorge De Frutos scored a brace.
Substitute Álvaro Gimenez scored Ferrol’s consolation goal in the last minutes. Following the draw for the RO16, Rayo Vallecano has been paired with Real Sociedad, scheduled for Thursday, January 16th.
Andrei Ratiu has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, as Unai Emery is looking to add a defender to his roster. The English club hasn’t approached Rayo Vallecano yet, but Aston Villa are believed to be monitoring the Romanian closely.
James Rodriguez and Raúl de Tomas are also rumoured to be looking for an exit. The two forwards have the least minutes played, with the latter only featuring in one game out of 21.
James is likely to leave sooner, having last featured for Rayo Vallecano over a month ago. He is said to be leaving for Colombia, where clubs believe his profile is valuable despite his low effort when defending.
Celta Vigo currently rank 11th in La Liga, collecting 24 points in 18 games. It places them only two points ahead of Rayo Vallecano, registering two victories more.
Last weekend, the Galicians advanced to the next round of the Copa Del Rey with an intense match against Racing De Santander, which ended in a 3-2 victory.
Andrés Martín scored in the 8th minute for Santander, but Alfon González equalized for Vigo ten minutes later. Defender Alvaro Mantilla was sent off shortly before the break, heavily shifting the odds towards Vigo’s favour. However, the Racinguistas restored the lead as Celta player Javi Fernández was unfortunate enough to score an own goal.
Santander seemed sure to win until Javi Castro scored an own goal in the 86th minute, making it 2-2. The game finally ended when substitute Ilaix Moriba assisted Alfonso González in the additional minutes, making it 3-2 for Vigo.
Celta defender Óscar Mingueza has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, as Unai Emery is looking to add a defender to his squad. However, the English club would have to pay his release clause set at 20M. The club would only receive half of it, while Barcelona would receive the rest.
Vigo have already started planning for alternatives, with Carlos Vicente from Deportivo Alavés as an option. His release clause is the same as Mingueza’s, although Celta would only pursue him if Villa paid Mingueza’s release clause.
Jailson and Iago Aspas remain sidelined through injury.
Bet hereOn paper, Rayo Vallecano haven’t won in three La Liga games, which would suggest a Celto Vigo victory. They’ve often hurt careless sides in possession, content to do the same to opponents on the counter while generating few quality chances. However, Iago Aspas is injured and could miss the clash.
Furthermore, Rayo Vallecano’s pitch is known to be challenging for visitors, as its dimensions are smaller.
Against a team that finds it difficult to defend, Isi Palazón is likely to be at the center of Rayo Vallecano’s intensity. Celta Vigo thrive against teams that play horizontal football but often find it challenging to defend against intense teams like Rayo Vallecano.
Isi Palazón may not be the youngest anymore, but his positioning makes him difficult to mark, as he continuously floats between two defenders. His technical ability allows him to switch directions quickly, often bypassing his opponents.
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