Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol - Predictions, Stats & Odds
La Liga Statistics, AI predictions, (Expected) Lineups and Insights for Gameweek 33
AI Match Prediction
Predicted Lineups
Rayo Vallecano
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| FWD | |
| FWD |
Espanyol
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| DEF | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| MID | |
| FWD | |
| FWD |
Preview for the game Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol
Rayo Vallecano come into this Gameweek 33 clash with slightly better momentum, taking 5 points from their last five league matches thanks to one win, two draws and two defeats. Espanyol, by contrast, have collected only 2 points over the same span, with three losses and two draws, underlining a poor recent run. Despite that, the recent head-to-head strongly favours Espanyol: they have won the last three league meetings, including 4-0 away at Rayo and 1-0 at home in 2025, plus a 2-1 home victory in August 2024. Our Plus Minus model still leans towards the hosts, giving Rayo a 46% chance of victory, with a 31% probability of a draw and only 23% for an Espanyol away win. That suggests Rayo’s underlying numbers and home advantage outweigh Espanyol’s historical edge in this fixture. Creative influence from Jorge de Frutos (GAP +2.1%) could be important for breaking down an Espanyol side that has struggled for results, while at the other end Kike Garcia (GAP +0.7%) profiles as a key outlet for the visitors if they are to extend their strong recent record against Rayo. Injuries and availability Espanyol remain without Javi Puado, who has been sidelined since 11 January with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and is expected to be out until September, removing an attacking option from their squad. For Rayo Vallecano, Diego Méndez has been unavailable since late October with an unspecified injury and is confirmed to miss this Gameweek 33 fixture. There are several doubts for the hosts: Luiz Felipe is touch-and-go after a recent thigh muscle problem, while Álvaro García is also doubtful due to hamstring discomfort. Fran Pérez, who is listed in the expected XI, has been managing lower back issues and is likewise rated doubtful, so his final involvement may depend on late fitness checks. On the positive side for Rayo, Randy Nteka has returned to full availability after working separately from the group, and goalkeeper Augusto Batalla (GAP +0.5%) is also back available following a short spell training on his own.
League Table before the game
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Espanyol | 31 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 48 | -11 | 38 | D L L D L |
| 15 | Rayo Vallecano | 31 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 29 | 38 | -9 | 35 | D D L W L |
Last Games
La Liga
Gameweek 33
What is GAP?
What is Plus Minus Goals (G±)?
Plus Minus Goals (G±) is the average goal difference per game while the player was on the pitch. A value above 0 indicates that the team rather wins, a value below 0 means his team concedes more goals than they score when the player is on the pitch. As an example, if the player's team is winning 3:1 the goal difference is +2, if the player's team is loosing 0:1, the goal difference is -1. It is a pure metric which is barely adjusted for circumstances to purely show the goal difference.
What is GAP?
GAP (Game Advantage Percentage) shows the percentage gap between a player and the average league player. It answers the question: How much does a player improve or worsen a team's performance? It is based on high level game data with a focus on the impact on the goal difference (G±) from the last 50 games of a player. Besides that, GAP goes further and considers game context by involving data from the player and all other players who are at the same time on the pitch, no matter if teammates or opponents. Football GAP - the individual metric for team players.