Rayo Vallecano will be looking to end a 13-game winless run against Atletico Madrid when the two sides face off at the Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday.
Indeed, Rayo’s last victory over Atletico came all the way back in 2013, while Diego Simeone’s side have claimed 10 wins in this fixture since then.
The boys are back! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LuIYlrWCgL— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) April 4, 2023
The boys are back! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LuIYlrWCgL
With third-placed Atletico leading eighth-placed Rayo by 17 points in the La Liga table, the visitors are favoured to extend their unbeaten run against the hosts.
Unfortunately for Rayo Vallecano, they have failed to win any of their last seven league matches, recording five draws and two losses in the process.
Rayo took the lead after nine minutes against Valencia last time out, only for Justin Kluivert to score an 82nd-minute equaliser for the relegation strugglers.
In terms of the bigger picture, only eight sides have claimed fewer La Liga wins than Rayo Vallecano’s nine this season.
That said, Rayo Vallecano have only lost two of their last 12 home games across all competitions, giving them hope for Sunday’s showdown.
On the flip side, Atletico Madrid head into Matchday 28 on a four-game winning streak in La Liga, with a clean sheet coming in each of their last three outings.
Better still, Simeone’s men have avoided defeat in each of their previous 11 league encounters, securing eight wins and three draws along the way.
Thanks to their impressive run, Atletico now find themselves just five points behind second-placed Real Madrid and six points clear of fourth-placed Real Sociedad.
Simeone’s side also boast the second-best defensive record in the division, having conceded a measly 19 goals in 27 matches this term.
Head-to-head: As we already mentioned, Atletico Madrid have avoided defeat in each of their last 13 meetings with Rayo Vallecano across all competitions.
In their previous two La Liga visits to the Estadio de Vallecas, Atletico have claimed 1-0 wins, keeping a clean sheet in six of their last seven matches against Rayo.
Team news: Rayo Vallecano have reported no injury problems ahead of Sunday’s clash, meaning head coach Andoni Iraola has a full-strength squad at his disposal.
As for Atletico Madrid, Memphis Depay and Reinildo Mandava are both out injured, while Sergio Reguilon is a doubt due to a thigh issue.
Given Atletico Madrid’s record in this fixture, the visitors are expected to notch another victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Forebet predicts that Atletico Madrid will keep another clean sheet on their way to dispatching Rayo Vallecano.