Two teams with plenty to play for in the closing stages of the 2024-25 La Liga campaign will lock horns for a vital match on Friday evening, with Las Palmas welcoming Rayo Vallecano to Gran Canaria Stadium.
Las Palmas are currently 18th in the La Liga table, three points behind 17th-placed Alaves, while Rayo are eighth, two points from seventh-placed Celta Vigo in the battle to secure Europa League football for next season.
Match preview
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Las Palmas have a record of eight wins, eight draws and 18 defeats from their 34 league matches this season, with a total of 32 points leaving them in 18th spot in the table, three points behind 17th-placed Alaves.
Diego Martinez's side will enter this game off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Valencia, which was a damaging result at this stage of the season, and the games are quickly running out for Pio Pio.
Las Palmas undoubtedly have quality in the final third, managing 40 goals in their 34 league games this term, which is high considering their position in the table, but they have the second-worst defensive record this season, conceding 56 times.
Los Amarillos have actually won their last two La Liga games against Rayo, including a 3-1 success earlier this season, but they lost 1-0 to the capital outfit in their last meeting on home soil.
Las Palmas have only been victorious in four of their 17 home league matches this season, and they will be coming up against a Rayo side that have 20 points to show from their 17 away league fixtures during the 2024-25 campaign.
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Rayo will enter this match off the back of a much-needed 1-0 victory over Getafe, with Florian Lejeune netting the only goal of the contest in the seventh minute to secure a vital three points for the Madrid club.
Inigo Perez's side are eighth in the La Liga table, boasting a record of 11 wins, 11 draws and 12 defeats from their 34 matches to collect 44 points, which has left them level on points with both ninth-placed Osasuna and 10th-placed Mallorca.
As it stands, Rayo are in a Conference League playoff round spot, but they sit just two points behind seventh-placed Celta Vigo, and that position would bring qualification for the league stage of the Europa League.
Los Franjirrojos finished 17th in Spain's top flight last season, so there was room for improvement this term, and the team are bidding to secure European football for the first time since featuring in the 2000-01 UEFA Cup.
Rayo have actually scored just 36 times in La Liga this season, but they have been relatively solid defensively, conceding only 42, which is the same amount as Champions League-chasing Real Betis.
Team News
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Las Palmas remain without Kirian Rodriguez, who had a cancer relapse earlier this year, but the club are hopeful that Scott McKenna and Fabio Silva will have returned from injury in time for this fixture.
Silva could take Javi Munoz's spot in the final third of the field, with Sandro Ramirez and Oli McBurnie also set to feature in forward areas.
McKenna is in line to replace Alex Suarez in the middle of the defence, meanwhile, with head coach Martinez set to have a strong squad available for the huge fixture on Friday night.
As for Rayo, key defender Andrei Ratiu will be back in the squad alongside goalkeeper Augusto Batalla following suspensions, but Pathe Ciss is now banned due to the red card that he picked up against Getafe.
Oscar Valentin is expected to be the player to benefit from Ciss's absence, but Randy Nteka remains a major doubt through injury, while Jonathan Montiel and Abdul Mumin are also still on the sidelines due to fitness problems.
Sergi Guardiola is an option in the final third of the field, but it is likely that Adri Embarba will continue as the centre-forward on Friday, with Jorge de Frutos operating in a wide position.
Las Palmas possible starting lineup:
Horkas; Rozada, McKenna, Marmol, A Munoz; Essugo, Bajcetic; Moleiro, F Silva, Sandro; McBurnie
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Hernandez, Chavarria; Valentin, U Lopez; De Frutos, Palazon, A Garcia; Embarba
We say: Las Palmas 1-1 Rayo Vallecano
Rayo have picked up points in 10 of their 17 away league matches this season, and we are backing them to avoid defeat here, as Las Palmas are a tough side to back with any real confidence. It would not be a shock to see a home or indeed an away victory on Friday, but we just have a feeling that the points will be shared in a low-scoring draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
