Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol - prediction, team news, lineups

By Aishat Akanni | 13 Sep 2026 18:24, Last updated: 13 Sep 2026 18:51

Reeling from a 4-1 thrashing at Real Madrid at the weekend, Rayo Vallecano desperately need a response when they host Espanyol at the Estadio de Butarque on Tuesday evening in La Liga.

The hosts have won just once in five league outings so far this season, while a buoyant Espanyol side arrive on the back of a 2-0 victory and are looking to cement their place in the top half of the early table.

Rayo head into Tuesday’s fixture with confidence at a low ebb after being swept aside 4-1 by Real Madrid on Saturday, with a Kylian Mbappe brace and goals from Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras doing the damage before Sergio Camello’s 51st-minute strike offered only brief consolation.

That defeat leaves Benat San Jose’s side 16th in the La Liga table with four points from five matches - one win, one draw and three defeats, and with serious defensive concerns beginning to mount.

Rayo have conceded 14 goals in five league games, the highest tally in LaLiga so far this season, while also giving away three penalties - more than any other side in the division.

Adding to the difficulty of Tuesday’s fixture is the fact that this match will again be played at the neutral venue of the Estadio de Butarque in Leganes, with ongoing issues at Vallecas continuing to disrupt Rayo’s home arrangements this season.

Espanyol, meanwhile, have made an encouraging start to the campaign, sitting seventh in La Liga with seven points from two wins, one draw and two defeats after five games.

Manolo Gonzalez has stuck to his principles despite the collapse in form that nearly cost his side their top-flight status last season, and the early signs suggest his squad have responded, with a disciplined defensive structure having conceded just five goals in five matches.

The visitors arrive on the back of a 2-0 win over Osasuna, with Roberto Fernandez’s early brace doing the damage, and that result underlines the threat Espanyol carry going forward.

Espanyol have won four of the last five meetings between the two clubs, though across the last 10 encounters Rayo lead the overall count with six wins to Espanyol’s four.

The most recent fixture between the sides ended in a 1-0 home win for Rayo, with Camello getting the only goal, and San Jose will be hoping his side’s leading scorer can again prove the difference on Tuesday.

Sergio Camello leads the line for Rayo as the club’s top scorer with six league goals, a tally that puts him level with Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha at the top of the La Liga scoring charts, and the striker will be central to whatever Rayo can produce on Tuesday.

Unai Lopez has been the chief creator in midfield with three assists and is expected to continue in that role as San Jose looks for a reaction from his side.

Rayo are without a number of key players, however, with Augusto Batalla sidelined with a broken leg, Jozhua Vertrouwd and Luiz Felipe both out with hamstring injuries, and Isi Palazon and Randy Nteka missing through muscle complaints.

Jorge de Frutos also misses out, serving the second match of a two-game suspension that kept him out of the trip to Real Madrid and rules him out here as well.

For Espanyol, Fernandez and Edu Exposito are expected to continue as mainstays of Gonzalez’s setup and will again be pivotal to their chances of claiming a result at Butarque.

Andoni Gorosabel is a doubt with a lingering groin and adductor problem that has kept him from training, while Javi Puado remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery on his right knee.

Kike Garcia is also unavailable with a hamstring and tendon injury, further limiting Gonzalez’s options going forward.

Audero; Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Pedrosa; Lopez, Bouare Samake; Tsitaishvili, Diaz, Garcia; Camello

Dmitrovic; Hinojo, Cabrera, Riedel, El Hilali; Exposito, Gonzalez de Zarate; Dolan, Hernandez, M. Fernandez; R. Fernandez

With 14 goals conceded in five matches, Rayo simply cannot be trusted at the back, and an Espanyol side building genuine momentum look capable of punishing them once again on Tuesday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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