La Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs. Atletico Madrid Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid meet on Monday night, being the last game of Round 3 in the Spanish La Liga. For the moment, Rayo is above Atletico in the standings, which didn’t happen often in the past. They have two wins now, and look to extend that streak against the favored rivals. Atletico is still adapting to some new tactical variations Diego Simeone implemented, and he did introduce some chances in Atletico’s style of play. Time will tell whether he made a smart move. 

Preview

Rayo Vallecano (+320) was flawless in the opening two events. A very small percentage of the analysts and punters predicted that the Little Thunderbolts would have two wins without a goal allowed. All that on the road. 

At first, they were victorious against Almeria, 0-2, and then against Granada, with the same result. Now, some would think they had luck, but overall, we have to say that Rayo really played well in these events. Both rivals aren’t exactly high-caliber units, and Francisco’s guys used that to hide their own weaknesses while exploiting their opponents’. 

This team is limited in various aspects of play, and we have to understand that. The defense did well in these two appearances, but we’ve seen them struggle to keep the net intact during the preseason period. 

Atletico Madrid (-105) had a tough time last weekend as they faced Betis in Sevilla. An intense and demanding game for both units ended without goals, but overall, Simeone’s unit is OK with getting back with one point from the south.

They’ve opened the La Liga championship with a 3-1 victory over Granada, whom they routinely defeated at Wanda Metropolitan. Simeone didn’t slow down the pace when his team got the lead, and that’s something that we saw frequently during the preseason. 

This is one of those changes mentioned earlier in this article, and it really appears that Atletico has a slightly more offensive-minded approach than in the past. 

Latest News 

Andres Martin has certain problems with his phy discomfort and is questionable. 

There are plenty of injured players in Atletico, Angel Correa, Koke, Jose Gimenez, Machin Perez, and Mandava, but Simeone has a deep roster. 

Head to Head Games

Believe it or not, Atletico has 14 straight games without a defeat against Rayo, with a big majority of those events ending in their favor. In the 2022/23 campaign, Rayo managed to take a point from Wanda Metropolitan, a 1-1 draw, while the second meeting saw Atletico triumphing, 1-2.

Prediction

Atletico has a much better team when looking at the names of the players and their value. Also, the tradition is with the Mattress Makers, which sometimes plays a big role. As for Rayo, two clean sheets in a row encourage this unit before clashing with one of the best teams in the league, yet playing against Granada and Almeria is far easier than with Atletico. The odds on the visitors’ triumph are very tempting; it’s almost double or nothing, which is why we have to take a risk and go with this bet. 

Pick: Atletico Madrid wins -105

Here are more previews for this weekend’s games:

• Chelsea vs. Luton 
• Brighton vs. Newcastle
• Everton vs. Wolves
• Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen
• Arsenal vs. Fulham
• Newcastle vs. Liverpool
• Villarreal vs Barcelona