Rayo Vallecano host Athletic Club at Estadio de Vallecas on Sat 10 Oct, 14:00 CEST in Matchday 8 of the 2026/27 La Liga season. Rayo Vallecano are 12th on 8 points from 7 games (form LWLWD), Athletic Club are 10th on 8 from 6 (6 played, so a game in hand) (form LWWDD). Updated 2026-10-09.
Rayo Vallecano: what changed
Rayo Vallecano have scored 11 and conceded 16 in 7 league games (2W 2D 3L, goal difference -5). Last time out it was D 1–1 at Osasuna. At home they have 7 points from 3 games. Their last league XI lined up in a 4-3-3.
Rayo Vallecano Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 4-3-3
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Athletic Club: team news
Athletic Club have scored 7 and conceded 6 in 6 league games (2W 2D 2L, goal difference +1). Last time out it was D 0–0 v Alavés. Away from home they have 3 points from 2 games. Their last league XI lined up in a 4-2-3-1.
Season snapshot
- Rayo Vallecano: L 1–4 at Real Madrid, W 2–1 v Espanyol, D 1–1 at Osasuna.
- Athletic Club: W 3–0 v Atlético Madrid, D 1–1 v Elche, D 0–0 v Alavés.
- Table before this round: Rayo Vallecano 12th (8 pts, GD -5), Athletic Club 10th (8 pts, GD +1).
Tactical edge
Rayo Vallecano (4-3-3 last time out) against Athletic Club (4-2-3-1) comes down to which defence gives way first: Rayo Vallecano have conceded 16 in 7, Athletic Club 6 in 6. Goals scored point the other way: 11 for Rayo Vallecano, 7 for Athletic Club.
Fantasy angle
- Predicted lineups below are each club's actual starting XI from their last league match (Rayo Vallecano: D 1–1 at Osasuna, Athletic Club: D 0–0 v Alavés). Official lineups appear about an hour before kick-off.
- Rayo Vallecano are 12th and Athletic Club 10th, so use the table gap as a guide to who is most likely to hold clean-sheet and goalscorer value.
Our call
Our model, built on 2026/27 goals scored and conceded, gives Rayo Vallecano a 32% win chance, a draw 24% and Athletic Club 44%, with 1–1 the most likely single scoreline. Expected goals: 1.3 for Rayo Vallecano, 1.6 for Athletic Club. Athletic Club are the lean on the numbers, but with about seven games played it is a guide, not a certainty.