Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: Complete Preview, Start Time and Live Stream

Real Madrid will battle Ray Vallecano in what will certainly be one of the most exciting matchups of the weekend.

Real Madrid and Ray Vallecano are both headed in different directions. Real Madrid has won four of their past five matches, but they dropped their most recent La Liga match to Levante 1-0.

Ray Vallecano has two wins in their past five while the other three matches ended in a draw.  

Real Madrid will look to get back on the right track while Ray Vallecano is simply looking to keep momentum behind them as they chug along at a steady pace.

Where: Madrid, Spain

When: September 24, 2:00 p.m. EST

Watch: WatchESPN (Must Already Subscribe to ESPN)

Player to Watch For Real Madrid

It’s always about Cristiano Ronaldo. Next to Wayne Rooney, he may very well be the best player in the world. Ronaldo is the smoothest player on the field. Ronaldo has the knack for gaining incredible separation from his defender to get a better scoring opportunity. Even if he’s being guarded, he has the innate ability to wrap the ball around his defender and the goalie to knock in the shot.

Player to Watch For Rayo Vallecano

Miguel Perez Cuesta scored the only goal in Rayo’s match with Getafe. He knocked in a header in just four minutes and will look to carry that success into this duel. Rayo’s best opportunity to win is to strike quickly and Cuesta can do that for them.

Key Matchup

The key matchup in this contest will be Ronaldo against Rayo’s defenders. It is imperative they take him completely out of the game and make somebody else beat them. Cristiano is one of the cockiest athletes in the world and always looks to topple his opponents single-handedly.

What They’re Saying

Real Madrid fans have to wonder if Cristiano Ronaldo’s head is even in his game. He could be contemplating a move elsewhere, but fortunately, he’s saying the right thing.

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“’I will never close the door to any club…But right now I’m very happy at Real Madrid. As I said in other interviews, if I had to sign for the rest of my life, I’d have signed,” Ronaldo said, according to Inside Futbol’s Staff.

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Real Madrid will be searching for answers after their recent loss to Levante.

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“Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had no doubts who was responsible for the loss. ‘The fault, in my opinion, lies with one of my players who knew about this type of situation and yet still fell into the trap,’ he said, according to Yahoo Sports’ Joseph Wilson."

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They’ll certainly have their work cut out for them.

Prediction: 1-1 Draw

With Ronaldo a bit hobbled due to an ankle injury, Madrid will need somebody to help him put the pressure on Rayo. Rayo has proven to be a resilient team in all of their recent matches and will be able to match Madrid step for step. This will be a low-scoring, gritty affair that won’t see either walk away with a win, though Rayo could consider this one.