This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. Gamble Aware 18+
Real Madrid managed to hold on and beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, a bounce back they needed after losing to Real Betis 1-0 in the game prior.
Jose Mourinho will be happy to see his team back to winning ways, and will hope that they can take that form into the weekend.
Rayo Vallecano have been one of the most entertaining watches of the LaLiga season so far. Almost all their matches have seen late goals or red cards, meaning fans have been glued to their seats.
They claimed their first win in LaLiga last time out against Racing, twice coming from behind to win 3-2 and will have to show the same fight if they are to get anything from this match.
Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano key information
• Date: Saturday, September 12
• Kick-off time: 20:00 BST
• Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid
• Referee: N/A
• VAR: N/A
• TV channels: Premiere Sports (UK)
• Odds: RMA (1/9) - DRAW (17/2) - RVA (20/1)
Real Madrid team news
Jose Mourinho welcomed back many of his stars to the squad to face Inter, with Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch and Endrick all being part of the matchday squad. That leaves only Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Raul Asencio and Rodrygo in the treatment room for Los Blancos.
Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler all missed the Inter game due to suspensions, and you would expect Guler and Camavinga to return to replace Brahim Diaz and Alexander-Arnold, the latter of whom played in midfield last game.
Real Madrid predicted lineup v Rayo Vallecano, (4-2-3-1)
Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Camavinga; Guler, Bellingham, Vini Jnr; Mbappe.
Rayo Vallecano team news
Rayo will be without Jorge de Frutos and Fran Pérez, who are suspended after being sent off against Racing. De Frutos was not even on the pitch when he received his red card.
Away from suspensions, Rayo are currently missing five players due to injury. Keeper Augusto Batalla broke his calf bone in the second game of the season against Alavez, so he is out for the foreseeable future.
In that same Alavez match, Rayo lost Isi Palazon to injury, and they both join Marash Kumbulla and Luiz Felipe on the sidelines. Jozhua Vertrouwd missed the previous match with a muscle injury and is also expected to miss this game.
Rayo predicted lineup v Real Madrid, (4-2-3-1)
Cardenas; Pedrosa, Ciss, Lejeune, Ratiu; Valentin, Bouare; Garcia, Lopez, Diaz; Camello.
Where to watch
You can catch this LaLiga match between Real and Rayo on Premier Sports. To be able to access Premier Sports, you need a subscription, and then you can stream online, on your TV or on your game console.
Head-to-Head record
Real Madrid have won 13 of their last 14 home games against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga (D1). That one draw came back in November 2023, but, overall, Madrid have scored 46 goals and only conceded 12 in those 14 matches.
Taking into account both home and away matches, Rayo Vallecano have picked up points in six of their last 11 LaLiga matches against Real Madrid (W2, D4 L5), after losing their previous 17 encounters in the competition.
Odds for Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
Real Madrid are the favourites to win at bet365, coming in at 1/9. A draw is at 17/2, with a Rayo win at 20/1.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.
Betting on Flashscore - to use to all other betting content
Whatever football match you're following, Flashscore brings you the latest betting predictions, odds and offers from UK bookmakers all in one place.
Predictions and odds | Betting offers and bonuses | Best football betting sites | Betting Guides | Where to watch football