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Rayo Vallecano will play host to Athletic Bilbao at the Estadio de Vallecas in round 24 of the Spanish La Liga on Sunday.
The visitors head into the weekend on a run of three consecutive defeats and will be looking to end this dry spell.
Rayo Vallecano failed to find their feet in La Liga as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Cadiz last Saturday.
They have now failed to win their last three league matches, picking up two draws and losing once since their 2-0 win over Almeria on February 6.
With 34 points from 23 matches, Rayo Vallecano are currently sixth in the La Liga table, level on points with seventh-placed Villarreal.
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao suffered a 1-0 loss to Osasuna in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash on Wednesday.
They have now returned to La Liga, where they are currently on a two-game losing streak, suffering defeats against Atletico Madrid and Girona respectively.
With 32 points from 23 games, Bilbao are currently ninth in the league table, but could potentially move into sixth place with a win this weekend.
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Athletic Bilbao boast a superior record in the history of this fixture, claiming 13 wins from the last 25 meetings between the teams.
- Rayo Vallecano have picked up six wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on six occasions.
- Bilbao are unbeaten in six of their last seven visits to the Estadio de Vallecas, claiming four wins and two draws since January 2012.
- Rayo Vallecano are winless in three consecutive matches, picking up two points from the last nine available in the league.
- Bilbao have lost their last three matches across all competitions, while they have managed just one win in nine away games in the league since the start of October.
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
With just two places separating the sides in contention for a place in Europe, we anticipate a cagey affair at the Estadio de Vallecas. Rayo Vallecano head into the weekend as the more in-form side and we predict they will see off Bilbao, who have struggled for results on the road this season.
Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 2-1 Athletic Bilbao
Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Bilbao Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Rayo Vallecano
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in four of their last five meetings)
Tip 3: Less than 10.5 corners - Yes (There have also been fewer than 11 corner kicks in six or the last seven clashes between the teams)
