Dazed King in Lisbon seeks consolation in the domestic league

Real Madrid return to domestic duty on Sunday afternoon with one clear objective: keep the winning run alive. Arbeloa’s side have put together five consecutive La Liga victories and now look to extend that streak to six when they visit Rayo Vallecano.

Los Blancos sit second in the table, four points adrift of leaders Barcelona, while Rayo’s recent dip in form has seen them slide down to 16th place. The timing of this fixture is interesting for Madrid, coming just days after a bruising 4–2 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League.

That setback pushed the Spanish giants out of the top eight in the league phase and into a playoff, where fate has paired them with Benfica once again — this time over two legs, home and away, with a last-16 spot on the line.

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Before Europe takes center stage again, Madrid must refocus on La Liga, where their form has been far more convincing. Wins over Alaves, Sevilla, Real Betis, Levante and Villarreal have kept them firmly in the title conversation.

Historically, Real Madrid have dominated this matchup, winning 33 of the previous 47 meetings and scoring a remarkable 119 goals. However, recent encounters have been less straightforward, with Madrid managing just two wins in their last seven games against Rayo. The reverse fixture earlier this season ended scoreless, although Los Blancos did claim a 2–1 victory at the Bernabeu last term.

Injury problems continue to limit Arbeloa’s options. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger are all sidelined and will miss the trip to Vallecas.

Some rotation is expected after the midweek exertions in Europe. Rodrygo is tipped to return to the starting XI, likely replacing Franco Mastantuono in attack, while Eduardo Camavinga could come into midfield at the expense of Arda Guler. Even so, the core of the team should remain intact, with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinícius Junior all set to feature.

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Rayo Vallecano also have fitness concerns of their own. Abdul Mumin and Andrei Rațiu are ruled out, but there is optimism that Ivan Balliu will recover in time to be included in the starting lineup.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 22

Friday

Espanyol - Alaves 1-2 (1-1)

/Fernandez 15 - Blanco 27, Boye 71/

Saturday

Oviedo - Girona 1-0 (0-0)

/Chaira 74/

Osasuna - Villarreal 2-2 (2-1)

/Munoz 20, Budimir 45+2 - Moreno 17 pen, 70/

Levante - Atletico Madrid 0-0

Elche - Barcelona 1-3 (1-2)

/Rodriguez 29 - Yamal 4, Torres 40, Rashford 72/

Sunday

16.00: (1.27) Real Madrid (6.75) Rayo Vallecano (11.0)

18.15: (1.90) Betis (3.60) Valencia (4.50)

20.30: (2.85) Getafe (2.95) Celta (2.85)

23.00: (2.35) Ath.Bilbao (3.35) Sociedad (3.35)

Monday

23.00: (2.40) Mallorca (3.20) Sevilla (3.10)

***odds are subject to change***