The Matchday 20 clash in La Liga between Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano will take place on January 19 at the El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona. Osasuna vs. Rayo Vallecano: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Osasuna vs. Rayo Vallecano
Osasuna (5-4-1): Sergio Herrera – Abel Bretones, Jorge Herrando Oroz, Enzo Boyomo, Lucas Torro, Alejandro Catena – Ruben Pena, Pablo Ibanez, Ruben Garcia, Moi Gomez – Raul Garcia.
Rayo Vallecano (4-4-2): Dani Cardenas – Florian Lejeune, Andrei Ratiu, Pep Chavarria, Abdul Mumin – Pathé Ciss, Unai Lopez, Adrian Embarba, Jorge de Frutos – Isi Palazon, Sergio Camello.
The starting lineup for each team in their previous match in this tournament is listed.
Osasuna
The Pamplona side ended last year with a home defeat to Athletic (1-2). The new year also started poorly for them with an away loss to Atletico Madrid, 0-1. Overall, the club has not won in seven consecutive league matches (4 draws and 3 losses). Vicente Moreno's men are mid-table and trail the European competition spots by 5 points.
- At least two goals have been scored in 9 of Osasuna's last 12 La Liga matches.
- The club has conceded in 6 of their last 7 league games.
- The number "2" has appeared in the final score in 7 of Osasuna's last 8 La Liga matches.
Rayo Vallecano
The Madrid side started the new calendar year well, defeating Celta 2-1 at home. This was their fifth consecutive unbeaten match in the league (2 wins and 3 draws). This successful run has lifted them to ninth place in the table. Inigo Perez's men have the same points as Osasuna but lead due to a better goal difference.
Midfielder Pathé Ciss will miss the match due to suspension from accumulated yellow cards.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final score in 11 of Rayo Vallecano's last 12 La Liga matches.
- Both teams scored in 6 of Rayo Vallecano's last 8 La Liga matches.
- The first half ended in a draw in 7 of Rayo Vallecano's last 10 away league matches.
Osasuna vs. Rayo Vallecano: Match Prediction
Despite being close in the league standings, the current form of the opponents is noticeably different. The visitors are unbeaten in five consecutive league matches, while the hosts have not won in seven straight La Liga games. However, during their winless run, the Pamplona side faced tough opponents like Atletico, Athletic, and Real Madrid. I predict that the team will at least not lose the upcoming match, and it's time to end their winless streak. Such winless stretches have not been seen for 3 years.
It's also worth noting that Osasuna has lost only twice in their last 12 home La Liga matches (5 wins and 5 draws). Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano has won only three times in their last 19 away La Liga matches (7 draws and 9 losses). Additionally, in the last six head-to-head league meetings in Pamplona, the hosts have won 5 times and drawn once.
My prediction: Osasuna with a handicap (0)