Preview | Rayo Vallecano v RCD Espanyol: last chance at Butarque | OneFootball

The Vallecas side will play their last match in Leganés against Espanyol after Vallecas reopens

Rayo Vallecano and RCD Espanyol face off at the Ontime Butarque Stadium in a match shaped by the institutional backdrop surrounding the Madrid side and the demands of the league schedule. While Beñat San José’s men are looking to end their exile with a morale-boosting win after the heavy blow suffered at the Bernabéu, the blanquiazul side arrives strengthened by its victory at El Sadar, firmly intent on conquering Leganés and capping off a perfect week in the standings.

Rayo Vallecano: the final toll of exile and managing the treatment room

Rayo Vallecano approaches this match with its sights set on the finish line of its organizational pilgrimage. It will, almost certainly, be the last match the red-sashed club plays at the Ontime Butarque Stadium as the home side before the long-awaited return to Vallecas expected after the next international break. Intense late-night efforts up until the eve of the game to move the match at the last minute to the Vallecas ground — or, failing that, postpone it — were rejected by LaLiga and the authorities. All of this comes amid a highly tense atmosphere with the fanbase, which is expected to leave the stands empty due to the classification of the match as "high risk" and the requirement for in-person ticket exchange just 12 hours before kickoff.

Strictly on the sporting side, the team managed by Beñat San José is looking to turn the page after conceding four goals at the Santiago Bernabéu, in a match where the red-sashed side stayed true to its identity with a high, aggressive press that José Mourinho’s team managed to figure out. The main new addition to the squad is the return of Fran Pérez after serving his suspension, while there are still no further recoveries among the injured. Sergio Camello is carrying minor muscle discomfort, although he is expected to be available, leaving some uncertainty up front regarding how many minutes he will play.

Sergio Camello, six goals in five matches. Source: Rayo Vallecano

The other major doubt in San José’s setup lies in goal, where the starting spot remains open in an ongoing debate between Cárdenas and the experience of Emil Audero. With a team that never compromises in its counter-pressing, the Basque coach is looking to soften the strain of a packed schedule without losing defensive solidity, aware that a win in Leganés would be the perfect prelude to confirming the return home with maximum peace of mind in the table.

RCD Espanyol: driven by ambition and forced rotation

For their part, RCD Espanyol arrives in Madrid with morale boosted after its recent win at El Sadar against Osasuna. That victory in Pamplona has given Manolo González’s side the composure and competitive edge needed to show its best version away from the RCDE Stadium. Far from being satisfied with the cushion of points already earned, the message in the Espanyol dressing room is one of maximum demand: the squad is not hiding its ambition and is embracing the challenge set by its coach of fighting for the full nine points in this tight stretch of the calendar.

For this match, Manolo González is expected to introduce changes to the starting lineup with the aim of freshening up the group amid the accumulation of minutes. In terms of absences, Espanyol’s treatment room offers no respite: to the long-term absences of attacking references such as Javi Puado and Kike García has been added Jofre Carreras due to physical discomfort. Despite these significant absences in attack, the blanquiazul coach has the rest of the traveling squad fully fit to put together a competitive eleven capable of maintaining the team’s scoring run.

Espanyol players after the victory at El Sadar. Source: RCD Espanyol

The Catalan side’s plan is to exploit the imbalances Rayo may create in buildup play because of its risky pressing approach. With in-form attacking players such as Roberto, Espanyol will look to hurt the Madrid side with a solid defensive block and quick transitions. The Espanyol side is confident of taking advantage of the tense atmosphere at Butarque to claim three points that would confirm its strong form and cement its place near the top of the table.

Previous meetings

The two teams have faced each other in a total of 45 matches. The record tilts in favor of Espanyol with 21 wins, compared to just 13 victories for Rayo Vallecano and 12 draws.

The most recent meeting came in April 2026 in a league match where the Vallecas side won 1-0. The biggest rout between the two clubs took place in 2000 and again in 2012 in league matches where Espanyol won 5-1 on both occasions.

Possible lineups

Rayo Vallecano: Emil Audero; Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Pathé Ciss, Adrià Pedrosa; G. Bouaré, Óscar Valentín, Unai López; G. Tsitaishvili, Álvaro García, Sergio Camello

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.