Rayo Vallecano vs Celta Vigo Preview

Celta Vigo will travel to the capital this Monday to face Rayo Vallecano in the 16th round of the 2023/24 La Liga season.

The hosts were made to sweat in midweek for their 2-0 victory over Segunda División RFEF outfit Yeclano in the Copa del Rey, with late goals from veteran striker Radamel Falcao and Raúl de Tomás sealing the win.

They will now hope to build on that win here in the league where Los Franjirrojos are struggling after recording one victory since mid-September (D7, L2).

That run of form has seen them plummet down the table, even if they were still ten points above the drop zone after round 15.

A return home to the Estadio de Vallecas would have been encouraging for them if not that they are winless in their last four league home games despite scoring first in those games.

So they may have to work hard again for a win here, given that they are winless in four games against Celta Vigo (D2, L2). But the visitors travel to Madrid in dire form, having not won a league game in eleven outings (D5, L6)-their joint-longest winless run in the Spanish top-flight this century.

Celta received a small midweek boost with a cup win of their own over lower-tier Sestao in the Copa del Rey.

It is their league form which has piled the pressure on manager Rafael Benítez, whose side sits in the relegation zone. The boss insists he’s still got the support of the club, but he will be only too aware that defeat in this fixture will lead to further speculation over his future.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera Liga:

Spanish Primera Liga Table