Sixth will welcome fifth in Spain's top flight on Saturday afternoon, as Rayo Vallecano host Villarreal for what is shaping up to be a fascinating battle at Campo de Futbol de Vallecas.
Rayo have been the surprise package in the division this term, picking up 35 points to sit sixth in the La Liga table, while Villarreal are fifth, six points ahead of their opponents in the Spanish capital.
Match preview
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Rayo's nine-game unbeaten run in La Liga was ended by Barcelona on Monday night, with Robert Lewandowski deciding the contest to send the Catalan side to the top of the division, but it was another hugely encouraging performance from Los Franjirrojos.
Inigo Perez's side finished 17th in La Liga last season, but they are currently in sixth spot in the table, one point ahead of seventh-placed Mallorca, boasting a record of nine wins, eight draws and seven defeats from 24 matches.
Rayo are seeking their highest-ever finish in Spain's top flight and a spot in Europe for next season, but the capital side are only four points ahead of 12th-placed Sevilla, so the situation could change extremely quickly.
Perez's team have picked up 18 points from their 11 home league games this season, but they will be welcoming a Villarreal outfit that have the third-best away record in La Liga this term, claiming 21 points from 12 matches.
Rayo held Villarreal to a 1-1 draw in the reverse match between the two sides earlier in the campaign, while it was also 1-1 when the pair locked horns in the Spanish capital last season.
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Villarreal also have European ambitions this season, with the Yellow Submarine currently sitting in fifth spot in the table, boasting 41 points from their 24 matches courtesy of a record of 11 wins, eight draws and five defeats.
Marcelino's side have been an excellent watch in Spain's top flight this season, scoring 47 goals, with only Real Madrid (52) and Barcelona (65) boasting stronger attacking records, but they have conceded 35 times.
The Yellow Submarine are six points clear of sixth-placed Rayo and four points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao, with a spot in next season's Champions League certainly within reach.
Villarreal are unbeaten in their last five games in Spain's top flight, recording three wins in the process, but they were held to a 1-1 draw by a struggling Valencia outfit last time out.
The fact that the Yellow Submarine do not have any European football this season could aid them in the coming months, as the four teams ahead of them in the table are all currently involved in Europe.
Team News
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Rayo will again be missing Joni Montiel and Raul de Tomas on Saturday, while it is likely that Sergio Camello and Unai Lopez will also be absent for the home side against Villarreal.
There was not a lot wrong with Rayo's performance against Barcelona last time out, so it could be a case of same again in this match, with Randy Nteka again likely to operate in the final third of the field.
Oscar Valentin and Adri Embarba are among the options for change, but Alvaro Garcia and Jorge de Frutos are set to continue in the wide areas, while Pedro Diaz is likely to retain his spot in central midfield.
As for Villarreal, Alfonso Pedraza, Arnaut Danjuma and Ilias Akhomach are out of the match through injury, while Gerard Moreno remains a major doubt for the Yellow Submarine due to a foot issue.
Kiko Femenia may also again miss out, with Pau Navarro therefore in line to continue at right-back.
Head coach Marcelino is unlikely to make many changes to his side following the clash with Valencia, but there is expected to be an alteration in the final third of the field, with Thierno Barry set to come in for Nicolas Pepe.
Ayoze Perez has 10 La Liga goals to his name this term and will again be among the starters for Villarreal.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Mumin, Chavarria; Diaz, Ciss; De Frutos, Palazon, A Garcia; Nteka
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Conde; Navarro, Foyth, Costa, S Cardona; Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena; Perez, Barry
We say: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Villarreal
Both teams are in need of the points due to their European ambitions, but we are finding it difficult to separate them here; Villarreal will fancy their chances of picking up a positive result, but Rayo have been excellent this season, and we are expecting the hosts to be good enough to secure at least a point on Saturday afternoon.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
