La Liga: The Unlikely Lads Outshining the Champions

Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano

If anyone had predicted at the start of the season that the second half of the 2021/22 La Liga campaign would kick off with newly promoted club Rayo Vallecano ahead of reigning champions Atletico Madrid you would probably have laughed.

Yet here we are, approaching January 2022 and the side which finished in sixth place in the Spanish Second Division last term has a one-point lead over Atleti.

Furthermore, they are two points clear of the mighty Barcelona.

Now don’t get me wrong, I expect both clubs to finish clear of Rayo Vallecano before the season draws to a close, but the fact Los Franjirrojos are currently in fourth position is the story of the season so far.

Never mind La Liga 2021 highlights, which have included a famous win over Barca courtesy of a Radamel Falcao strike last month, coach Andoni Iraola has worked a small miracle in the capital.

Now for their city rivals whose limelight has been truly stolen in recent weeks.

Talking Points

Certainly, Atletico Madrid’s title defence is in disarray, compounded by a late defeat at Sevilla just before Christmas, swiftly followed by a 2-1 reverse at Granada, which has seen them slip to 17 points behind runaway leaders Real Madrid.

With Sevilla seemingly the only team capable of challenging Real for the title, Atletico’s immediate aim is to return to form and climb back into the top four, restoring confidence after Diego Simeone’s side lost four on the bounce.

The truth is, though, it will be a surprise to this SBOTOP observer if this clash goes ahead.

Certainly, according to a report, Vallecano want this Sunday afternoon’s fixture to be postponed.

Rayo returned to training on Tuesday after the Christmas break with just eight first-team players available due to the results of the PCR tests carried out the day before.

That has left the club from Vallecas with a seriously depleted squad after the aforementioned outbreak resulted in seven first-team players testing positive for Covid-19, along with Iraola.

The necessary measures laid down by La Liga and the Spanish government have been taken.

The outbreak comes at a bad time for them – not that there’s ever a good time – as they have won three of their last five and enter the New Year in a Champions League qualification place, something even their most optimistic followers would not have dreamed of at the start of the season.

His side at a low ebb, Simeone knows the task he faces. He supposedly told his players the three things they must do to turn things around as they headed into the Christmas break with the instructions to: “Clear the mind, to be relaxed and to work.”

It is exactly a decade since Simeone took charge of Los Rojiblancos and his pedigree is not in doubt.

For here is a man with the most titles in Atletico’s history, winning La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey once, the Europa League twice, the Supercopa de Espana once and the European Super Cup twice.

Furthermore, he has won more games than any other coach in Atletico’s history, achieving 326 victories in 551 matches, and is the only coach to have led a club to La Liga glory (aside from Barcelona or Real Madrid) in the last 17 years.

With a nod to the past, Falcao was in the first side Simeone ever selected as boss, so there would be a certain synergy should he feature for Vallecano this Sunday afternoon.

That is, in the unlikely event that this fifth-versus-fourth clash does go ahead.

History

You have to go back to 2013 to find the last time Rayo Vallecano defeated Atletico.

On that occasion, Alhassane Bangoura and Leo Baptistão were the men on target before Falcao pulled back a late consolation for Atletico.

Since then, Atletico have won seven and drawn one of their subsequent eight meetings, most recently in February 2019 when Antoine Griezmann netted the only goal of the game.

It was August 1999 when Rayo last won on Atletico turf – a 2-0 success as Jean Hernandez and Ferron scored the goals.

Overall, Atletico have won 21 of their matches with eight Rayo Vallecano triumphs and 10 draws.

Betting Tip

	Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano	Half Time Full Time Home Home @ 1.94
	January 2, 23:15 (GMT+8)

The La Liga 2021 betting odds show complete disregard for the league table.

Atletico are overwhelming favourites 1X2 @ 1.31 and Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.05, compared to Vallecano 1X2 @ 9.75 and Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 2.16.

Even the draw is priced @ 4.90.

I simply cannot see past an Atletico success, if this game goes ahead, and my three-star prediction is that they lead both at half time and full time en route to victory.

 

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