Real Madrid to face Rayo Vallecano

Real Madrid play their third match in barely nine days in Vallecas tonight (7:45 pm). The Whites face Rayo 24 hours later than expected due to the blackout yesterday at the Vallecas stadium and they do so in the hope of building on the positive team performance last Tuesday in their opening European game against Manchester City. Mourinho has made reference to this point: “I liked the way the team played last Tuesday as we found the physical and emotional motivation, and we are going to continue like that. I have a positive outlook on the game”. And his players will attempt to put the words of the Portuguese into action at a stadium in which the Whites have the best record in terms of league wins for an away team. Despite this statistic, the second derby of the season has the feel of a tough match. Rayo, who will change its usual 3-man defence for a 4-man defence, are actually unbeaten at home.

Real Madrid. Yesterday at Vallecas Stadium

There is no let up in the fixture list for Real Madrid as they will play their third game in nine days tonight less than 24 hours after the scheduled fixture due to an electric failure at the Vallecas stadium yesterday. The Whites, having beaten Manchester City last Tuesday in their opening European match (3-2), face Rayo aiming to build on the positive team performance against the English outfit and pick up their second win in a row.

“The atmosphere will be hot and I am not expecting an easy match. From the declarations of the Rayo players you can understand their level of motivation, but my philosophy is that you have to play every game to the maximum if you want to win”, Mourinho recently declared. Cristiano Ronaldo will aid the effort to achieve success. The Portuguese player, who scored the definitive goal against Manchester City, always scores when he is faced by the Vallecas lineup. In fact, and after confronting the team twice he has scored on four occasions.

Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano have clashed 13 times in the League in the Vallecas stadium, and the white team have obtained nine victories , a draw and three defeats , with a balance of 25 goals in favour and 14 against. Data which mean that the Real Madrid team is the one which most often has beaten the Vallecans in their own stadium.Moreover, the squad trained by José Mourinho is the only in the First Division which has won on its last five visits, including the latest precedent from last season , decided by a goal from the heel by Cristian Ronaldo (0-1).

Rayo Vallecano receives the Real Madrid players on this fifth day after having scored a wonderful opening to the season , which brought them to sixth place in the classification. After playing two matches at home and two away , the Vallecas team scored two victories (obtained in the first two matches), a draw and a defeat. As locals they are unbeaten and unconquered. Their scoresheet is a victory against Granada (1-0) and a draw against Seville (0-0).

Before the problem with the electric light, Paco Jemez and Mourinho unveiled the starting lineups that, according to the logic, will remain for today. And the Portuguese coach dispelled doubts. Sergio Ramos appeared in the starting lineup, giving closed the controversy created by the substitution of the player against Manchester City.

Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Essien, Di Maria, Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema.
Rayo Vallecano: Ruben, Tito, Labaka, Amat, Casado, Javi Fuego, Jose Carlos, Lass, Chori Dominguez, Delibasic, Leo Baptistao.