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Real Madrid will take on Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu on Matchday 16, hoping to come back from their 1-0 defeat to Villarreal last weekend. The hosts will need to perform very well in front of their own fans to keep alive their hopes of staying in touch with leaders Barcelona.
A loss or even a draw for Los Blancos could be fatal for their manager Rafa Benitez, as he is still under fire and needs to boost the performance of his players. A match against a team in the relegation zone team could help, although complacency can make it a tough hurdle, which Real could fail to clear.
Real will be looking to close the gap on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of the La Liga table as they are already five points behind them. The hosts had earlier stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Villarreal last weekend which was their third league defeat in five matches. The capital club are five points behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the La Liga table and can ill afford to drop points against the visitors.
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Channel: Sony KIX.
Date and Time: Sunday, 20th December 2015 – 15:00 GMT (20:30 IST)
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid.
Team News
Real Madrid will see the return of Toni Kroos who has recovered from his bout of flu and he could be starting for Los Blancos on Sunday. However, the home side will be without their defenders Dani Carvajal and Raphael Varane who had both picked up thigh injuries. They are unlikely to feature against Rayo. With the exception of Varane, the hosts will have their strongest XI going into the game they need to win. Manager Rafa Benitez will deploy the typical formation with striker Karim Benzema leading the line with Ronaldo and Bale not far behind. In defence, captain Sergio Ramos and Pepe will be given the job to see out Rayo’s attackers.
Rayo Vallecano will be without defender Diego Llorente who is ineligible to play against Madrid. They will also be without three important players in Tono, David Cobeno and Patrick Ebert. However, Ze Castro and Razvan Rat can be expected to be back for the visitors. Ze Castro should be in the team if he is fit for the game. The good news for Rayo is the return of midfielder Raul Baena after serving a one-match ban.
Probable lineups
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Navas; Danilo, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, Rodriguez; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1): Rodriguez; Tito, Amaya, Castro, Martinez; Baena, Trashorras; Bangoura, Jozabed, Bebe; Guerra.
Form
Real Madrid have endured a miserable season in the La Liga so far according to their standards. The suprising 1-0 loss against Villarreal last matchday has put Rafa Benitez under more pressure. The Spanish coach had earlier received a vote of confidence from Real's president Florentino Pérez, but the air surrounding his future at the club grows heavy with tension and Benitez has to perform along with his players.
- Despite finishing their Champions League group campaign with an impressive 8-0 victory over Malmo, Real Madrid’s setback last weekend at Villarreal has caused their fans to doubt whether their club will win anything this term. The defeat had left Real 5 points off both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the La Liga title race. So, a safe win over their visitors would do Benitez and Madrid a world of good.
Having won three of their last five games, Real aren’t really playing poor football, but they have lost the other two games, which has created a gap in their pursuit of the La Liga title. Madrid's players need to begin enjoying football again, and entertain the fans, so playing weak opposition might be the first step to it.
Last 5 games: W-L-W-W-L (Last match: Villarreal 1-0 Real Madrid)
Rayo Vallecano’s recent form has been disappointing. They did knock Getafe out of the Copa del Rey in midweek in thrilling fashion, losing 3-1 on the night but progressing courtesy of a 2-0 home win in the first leg, but the Madrid-based side have lost four of their last five matches across all competitions and lie just three points ahead of rock-bottom Levante in 18th place. Their recent form may not worry the hosts much but the visitors are capable of springing a suprise against Real Madrid and it is definitely the best time to grab some points from the Santiago Bernabéu.
After finishing a creditable 11th last season, Rayo are without a win in four matches and need to get more points on the board desperately. The loss against relegation battlers Malaga last week made it a streak of two consecutive defeats, after losing to Villarreal the week before. It is clear that something has to change at the club and the players need to get some confidence back. Rayo and Real are both Madrilenians, but no one takes this derby so seriously, however it would definitely a suprise for all and especially for the Vallecano fans to get even one point at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Last 5 games: L-W-L-L-L(Last match: Getafe 3-1 Rayo Vallecano)
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have won their last 14 meetings against Rayo in La Liga.
- Los Blancos have scored twelve goals in their last two home games in all competitions.
- Rayo have only won once away from home so far this season in La Liga.
- Rayo Vallecano's only win at the Santiago Bernabeu was in the 1995/96 La Liga campaign (2-1).
- Cristiano Ronaldo (10) and Javi Guerra (9) have scored the most goals for Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano respectively in La Liga.
Key Battles
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Tito
Paco Jemez’s side will be wary of the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese has not been at his prime best, but he has scored 10 goals in the La Liga so far. He will be up against Rayo’s Tito. The latter will have the chance to prove his defending skills against one of the best attackers in the world. But the 3-time World Player of the Year will be adamant to carry Real to a convincing win to lighten the mood at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo has not had a particularly electrifying start to the season but whenever he has been on the pitch, he has created vital opportunities for Real. His presence up front is enough to create doubts in the minds of his opposition.
However, Jemez will be counting on his defender to stop Ronaldo and keep him quiet. In the same way, Benitez will count on his star player to deliver when the mood is gloomy around the club. This battle could be interesting, but Ronaldo leaves no defender without giving him nightmares, hence Tito may well not avoid such a situation.
Javi Guerra vs Sergio Ramos
Rayo striker Javi Guerra has scored 9 goals for his side in La Liga. But he will be up against one of the best defenders in the world when he takes the field against Madrid on Sunday. Guerra will be expected to create some opportunities for the not-to-shining visitors. This task could well be tough for him as he will be up against an experienced defender in Sergio Ramos. The Real skipper has had a faily topsy-turvy season so far, staying on the sidelines for most part. But Benitez can count on him to deliver when the team needs him.
Guerra helped Rayo qualify for the next round of the Copa del Rey. Following those performances with a good one against Real Madrid could exactly make him one of the key players at Rayo at this point in time. But the striker will be up against Ramos, who has always been up for battle. This battle could well be supported by Pepe, who will have to come to the rescue of his captain when needed. If Rayo are to get anything from this game, Guerra will have to outfox the Madrid defence.
Prediction
The odds are very much in Real Madrid's favor, but they are struggling at the moment and so Vallecano have a little chance of springing a surprise. But Real will be spurred on by the fact they lost last weekend. Hence, we can expect goals aplenty from the home team with the BBC leading the charge. Real can be expected to get a definite three points from this game at home. Benitez will manage to keep his job for the meantime though if his team fires on all cylinders.
Predicted score: Real Madrid 4-0 Rayo Vallecano
Betting odds (bet365)
Real Madrid – 1/12
Draw – 10/1
Rayo Vallecano – 20/1
