Atletico Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Fresh from the 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich that has given them the advantage heading into the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, Atletico Madrid re-enter Primera Liga combat against struggling Rayo Vallecano.
Playing in between Real Madrid and Barcelona’s matches on Saturday, Atletico will have the chance to go above the current league leaders and perhaps to the top of the table depending on Real’s result at Real Sociedad, and Diego Simeone will be desperate for the desire his side showed on Wednesday night to be in evidence again here.
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Rayo led 2-0 against Real Madrid last weekend only to succumb to Los Blancos’ power and lose 3-2, and given that they sit just three points above the relegation zone with three matches remaining this season they need to start picking up results from somewhere.
Anything they get at the Vicente Calderon would be a surprise, though, especially with Atletico in such high spirits.
Date: Saturday, April 30
Time: 5.15 p.m. BST / 12.15 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Madrid
TV Info: Sky Sports 2
Live Stream: Sky Sports
Last 6 Results
Atletico Madrid
Won 3-1 vs. Espanyol
Won 2-0 vs. Barcelona
Won 3-0 vs. Granada
Won 1-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao
Won 1-0 vs. Malaga
Won 1-0 vs. Bayern Munich
Rayo Vallecano
Drew 2-2 vs. Granada
Won 2-0 vs. Getafe
Lost 1-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao
Won 2-1 vs. Villarreal
Drew 1-1 vs. Malaga
Lost 3-2 vs. Real Madrid
Team News
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone is almost certain to make changes following both the first leg against Bayern Munich and the fact that the second follows on so closely on Tuesday night.
However, the Argentinian will know that it is imperative that his side win their last three matches in La Liga if they are to taste a second league success in the past three years, and so those changes are probably going to be minimal, with some of his squad players coming into the side for performers who ran themselves into the ground in midweek.
Matias Kranevitter could replace Augusto Fernandez after the latter never stopped running against Bayern, while Luciano Vietto and Thomas Partey will be vying for a place in midfield.
Possible XI: Oblak, Juanfran, Gimenez, Savic, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Kranevitter, Saul, Koke, Griezmann, Vietto.
Rayo Vallecano
Roberto Trashorras is out suspended for Rayo, who also have four players on the injured list in Piti, Cobeno, Tono and Patrick Ebert.
Other than that, the team is likely to bear a close resemblance to the one that ran Real Madrid so close last weekend, with coach Paco Jemez doubtless hoping that they can tap into the form that took them 2-0 up inside the first 14 minutes thanks to goals from Adri Embarba and Miku.
The key question is who will come in for the suspended Trashorras, with Chilean Manuel Iturra the man most likely.
Possible XI: Juan Carlos, Quini, Amaya, Crespo, Tito, Jozabed, Iturra, Embarba, Hernandez, Bebe, Miku.
Key Players
Atletico Madrid: Saul Niguez
After enhancing his reputation yet further with a wonderful winning goal against Bayern Munich, the 21-year-old Saul Niguez will be looking to impress against the side he played for on loan in the 2013/14 season.
Because of that spell he might feel an affinity to the side from Madrid, but he isn’t likely to show on what he’ll hope will be another evening on which he’ll shine.
Rayo Vallecano: Miku
Nicolas "Miku" Fedor is best known in Spain for three years at Getafe, but after brief spells at Celtic and away in Qatar, the Venezuelan has impressed when leading the line for Rayo this season.
It looked as though the 30-year-old had secured the three points when he put his side 2-0 up against Real Madrid last weekend, and he’ll be hoping that any goals here turn out to be more telling.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Atletico Madrid: 1-4
Rayo Vallecano: 12-1
Draw: 5-1
