Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano: La Liga – teams, start, lineups

Who: Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Bernabeu successful Madrid, Spain
When: Sunday, February 1 astatine 2pm section clip (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the buildup connected Al Jazeera Sport from 10:00 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.

Real Madrid proceed to conflict for signifier successful a turbulent play and indispensable rapidly shingle disconnected their UEFA Champions League woes up of the sojourn of Rayo Vallecano successful La Liga connected Sunday.

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Los Blancos missed retired connected an automatic spot successful the past 16 of Europe’s premier nine contention erstwhile they were defeated astatine Benfica connected Wednesday.

Attention present returns to keeping gait with league leaders and defending champions, Barcelona, connected the home front.

What has Real Madrid’s absorption been to the decision by Benfica?

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa insisted helium would basal by the team’s prima players and springiness them arsenic galore minutes arsenic possible, contempt statement implicit whether the squad tin relation efficaciously with them each connected the pitch.

Los Blancos, whose decision connected Wednesday means they indispensable play a further knockout round successful the Champions League, person sometimes struggled for equilibrium erstwhile excessively galore of their attacking talents play together.

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior person completed each of the past 4 games for Arbeloa, on with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, portion midfielder Fede Valverde started each 4 and was substituted once.

“I ever privation to person the champion players connected the pitch, and the much minutes they tin beryllium disposable to the squad for me, the better,” Arbeloa told a quality conference, erstwhile asked if those 5 players were “untouchable”.

“These are players who tin shingle up a lucifer astatine immoderate moment. There volition beryllium radical who aren’t Madrid fans who don’t privation them connected the pitch, but I ideate Madrid supporters privation their champion players ever available, ever connected the field.

“I deliberation the 5 players mentioned are among the apical 10 successful the world, and truthful they person my afloat trust. And it’s not conscionable my spot – their show is what’s putting them connected the pitch.”

How did Kylian Mbappe’s disapproval of Real spell down successful Madrid?

French superstar Mbappe criticised the team for their inconsistency, and Arbeloa said Madrid are moving connected solving that issue.

“Look, we’re moving to find the consistency we privation successful our crippled and astatine each levels, and I deliberation close present it’s neither a clip for disappointment nor a clip for euphoria,” said Arbeloa.

“It’s a clip for work, thing more.”

How bash Barcelona and Real Madrid signifier up successful La Liga?

Barcelona entertain Elche connected Saturday evening with the accidental to determination 4 points wide up of Real’s crippled against Vallecano.

How person Rayo Vallecano fared successful La Liga this season?

The menace of relegation hangs heavy implicit Rayo Vallecano, who person lone won 5 of their 21 matches this season.

The distant signifier does astatine slightest connection them immoderate hope, with 3 of those victories coming connected the road.

Only 8 points abstracted the bottommost 9 clubs, of which Vallecano clasp 16th presumption heading into Matchday 21.

What happened the past clip Real Madrid played Rayo Vallecano?

The sides past met successful a La Liga lucifer astatine Vallecano connected November 9. The lucifer ended successful a disappointing 0-0 gully for Real, portion of the tally that led to the departure of Alonso arsenic coach.

What happened successful past season’s corresponding crippled betwixt Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano?

Real ran retired 2-1 winners successful the La Liga lucifer betwixt the sides astatine Bernabeu past season.

Mbappe and Vinicius enactment Los Blancos 2 up successful the crippled connected March 9, earlier Pedro Diaz pulled 1 backmost earlier the break, but the distant broadside were incapable to interaction the crippled further successful the 2nd half.

Head-to-head

This volition beryllium the 48th gathering betwixt Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Los Blancos person won 33 of the matches, portion Vallecano person won seven.

Real Madrid squad news

Antonio Rudiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ferland Mendy person each returned to grooming pursuing injuries but the antiaircraft trio remains unavailable for first-team action.

Eder Militao remains a semipermanent absentee with a terrible hamstring injury, which is expected to support the cardinal defender retired until precocious March.

Raul Asencio and Rodrygo some saw reddish successful the midweek Champions League decision by Benfica, but are some eligible for La Liga selection.

Real Madrid predicted starting lineup

Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius

Rayo Vallecano squad news

Abdul Mumin and Andrei Ratiu volition some miss retired with genu and limb injuries, respectively. Ivan Balliu is battling to shingle disconnected a sound and whitethorn look a precocious fittingness test.

Ilias Akhomach is pushing for his archetypal start, pursuing his indebtedness determination from Villarreal, having travel connected arsenic a sub against Osasuna past clip out.

Rayo Vallecano predicted starting lineup

Batalla; Balliu, Lejeune, Ciss, Chavarria; Palazon, Valentin, Diaz; Akhomach, De Frutos, A Garcia