Overview
Rayo Vallecano entered the round against Espanyol after one of the most memorable weeks in club history, when they first qualified for the semi-finals of a European tournament.
Los Franjirrojos traveled to Greece with a 3-goal lead against AEK Athens in the first leg of the Conference League quarter-finals, but let the opponent equalize the total score in just over 50 minutes at Allwyn Arena.
In the most difficult time, Isi Palazon spoke up with the decisive goal, sealing the overall victory 4-3 and bringing Rayo to the semi-finals against Strasbourg.
Despite flying high in the European arena, the capital team of Spain still cannot be negligent in La Liga. They are currently only 3 points ahead of the relegation zone before hosting Espanyol at home.
Rayo will aim for their first victory against this opponent since defeating 2-0 at RCDE Stadium in August 2022. Their mainstay is Vallecas Stadium, where they have only lost 1 in their last 12 matches, with 5 wins and 6 draws.
In the opposite direction, Espanyol, although 6 points ahead of the relegation group, is still mired in a form crisis. Coach Manolo Gonzalez's team has not won any matches in La Liga in 2026 and has only won 5 points.
Espanyol's away form is particularly worrying as they have lost 3 of their last 4 matches, including a heavy 1-4 defeat to Barcelona in the derby. This is also the 4th time in their last 7 away trips that they have conceded 3 or more goals.
However, Espanyol still has a basis for confidence as they once beat Rayo 1-0 in the first leg this season. In addition, they also have a beautiful memory at Vallecas with two recent victories, including a 2-1 victory in May 2023 and a 4-0 resounding victory in April 2025.
Personnel situation
Rayo Vallecano will not have the service of the defensive duo Florian Lejeune and Nobel Mendy in the upcoming match, as both are on suspension due to receiving enough yellow cards.
This is a significant loss for the Vallecas home team in the context that they need solidity in defense to maintain a safe distance from the relegation group.
In addition, defender Luiz Felipe and striker Alvaro Garcia are still racing against time to recover from injuries and leave the possibility of playing uncertain.
Rare good news for Rayo is that Fran Perez has returned to training after a period of absence due to injury and may be included in the squad list.
On Espanyol's side, key striker Javi Puado continues to be absent due to not completing the process of recovering from a anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Meanwhile, Urko Gonzalez de Zarate also cannot participate as he has to serve a suspension after receiving enough 5 yellow cards this season.
Faced with the personnel problem and declining form, Manolo Gonzalez is likely to consider new options such as Ramon Terrats or Fernandez to find breakthroughs in this important away trip.
Expected lineup:
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Vertrouwd, Ciss, Espino, Valentin, Lopez, Akhomach, Palazon, Chavarria, De Frutos.
Espanyol: Dmitrovic, El Hilali, Calero, Cabrera, Romero, Exposito, Lozano, Ngonge, Terrats, Dolan, Fernandez.
The match between Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol takes place at 1:00 a.m. on April 24 (Vietnam time).
