Alaves will be bidding to avoid a fifth straight defeat in La Liga when they head to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors are winless in Spain's top flight since September 20, with their disappointing run seeing them drop into 14th position in the La Liga table, while Rayo occupy ninth, boasting 13 points from their opening 10 matches of the campaign.
Match preview
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Rayo boast a record of three wins, four draws and three defeats from their 10 La Liga matches this season, which has left them in ninth spot in the division on 13 points, two points behind seventh-placed Real Betis.
The capital side brought a five-game unbeaten run into their clash with Mallorca last weekend, but they were beaten 1-0 by Jagoba Arrasate's side, with Vedat Muriqi netting the only goal of the contest in the 76th minute.
Inigo Perez's side are unbeaten in their last three league games on home soil, though, including a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid, and they will be confident of overcoming an out-of-form Alaves outfit on Saturday afternoon.
Rayo, who finished in 17th position in Spain's top flight last term, recorded a 2-0 win in the corresponding match in 2023-24, but Alaves were 1-0 winners when the two sides last locked horns in March.
This game represents Rayo's final league fixture of the month, but their Copa del Rey journey for the 2024-25 campaign will begin on October 29 against Villamuriel.
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Alaves enjoyed an impressive 2023-24 campaign after securing a return to the top flight through the Segunda Division playoffs, finishing in 10th spot in the La Liga table.
The Blue and Whites made a positive start to this season, but they have not managed to triumph in La Liga since September 20, losing each of their last four matches to Real Madrid, Getafe, Barcelona and Real Valladolid.
Luis Garcia's side were involved in a five-goal thriller with Real Valladolid last time out; Toni Martinez sent the Basque team ahead in the sixth minute, but Real Valladolid then scored three times without reply before Kike Garcia netted a late second for Alaves.
The visitors are currently 14th in the La Liga table, picking up 10 points from their 10 matches courtesy of a record of three wins, one draw and six defeats, and they will be determined to end their losing run this weekend.
Alaves have struggled defensively in the early stages of the campaign, conceding 18 times in their 10 matches, which is the joint-third worst defensive record in Spain's top flight this season alongside Villarreal.
Team News
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Rayo will be without the services of three players through injury this weekend, with Abdul Mumin, Alfonso Espino and Diego Mendez on the sidelines, but the capital side have not reported any fresh concerns.
There were positives to take from the narrow defeat at Mallorca last time out, so head coach Perez could ultimately decide to select close to the same XI on Saturday, with Isi Palazon again operating through the middle, but Aridane Hernandez should come in for the injured Mumin at the back.
Jorge de Frutos and Alvaro Garcia started in the wide areas against Mallorca, and that is expected to be the case here, with the likes of James Rodriguez and Oscar Valentin set to continue on the bench.
As for Alaves, Antonio Blanco is a doubt with a knee problem, while Hugo Novoa and Aleksandar Sedlar will not be available for selection on Saturday afternoon due to fitness issues.
The visitors will also have to work around the absences of Abdel Abqar and Kike Garcia, as the former picked up a milestone yellow card against Real Valladolid, while the latter was sent off in the same match.
Joan Jordan is expected to be the player to benefit if Blanco is ruled out, while Santiago Mourino is likely to be given the nod in the middle of the defence as a replacement for Abqar.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Hernandez, Balliu; De Frutos, U Lopez, Gumbau, A Garcia; Camello, Palazon
Alaves possible starting lineup:
Sivera; Tenaglia, Mourino, Diarra, Sanchez; Jordan, Guevara; Vicente, Guridi, Conechny; Martinez
We say: Rayo Vallecano 2-1 Alaves
Alaves showed positives against Real Valladolid last time out, but their defensive record is concerning, and Rayo have the players to hurt the visitors on Saturday; we are expecting an open and entertaining match, with Rayo likely to come out on top.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
