Rayo Vallecano boss wary of wounded Real Madrid – ‘They have a very high mental capacity’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back from their shock 4-2 defeat to SL Benfica as they take on Rayo Vallecano this weekend.

It will be an excellent opportunity for Los Blancos to put pressure on Barcelona, who only have a slender one-point advantage at the top of the table.

However, taking on Rayo Vallecano will not be easy, despite their position in the league table. It must be remembered that the same opposition was able to hold Real Madrid to a goalless draw in the reverse fixture.

What Rayo manager said ahead of Real Madrid clash

Speaking ahead of this game, Rayo’s manager, Inigo Perez, sounded cautious when asked about Real Madrid.

He particularly highlighted that the team simply cannot afford to lose grip in the game early on, it would allow Real Madrid to dominate.

“Against such powerful teams, losing early is dangerous. The Madrid players have a very high mental capacity and recovery ability, and tomorrow it won’t affect them,” he said (h/t AS).

Rayo Vallecano, of course, will take on Real Madrid’s fresh iteration under Alvaro Arbeloa, who didn’t shy away from respecting Perez’s team in the pre-match presser.

Arbeloa believes Rayo will be a strong opponent. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

When asked about Arbeloa, Perez didn’t say much and seemed to divert attention back to his old team.

“There are nuances. I see a Real Madrid with the same attacking potential and the ability to easily reach your goal. If we don’t play an outstanding match, it will be almost impossible; even playing that way last year, we couldn’t manage it.

“That’s a good reference point so we don’t lose our identity and can be more efficient,” he said.

Finally, the Rayo Vallecano coach pointed out the importance of recovering the identity, if his team is to secure three points against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu this weekend.

“Apart from Andoni’s year, which was a perfect match, we’ve suffered their potential. At the Bernabeu, we’ve played good games and still lost. The key is to recover our identity – the thing that has allowed us to compete with Madrid,” he concluded.