Atletico Madrid will continue their pursuit of Barcelona (and mission to stay ahead of Real Madrid) with a trip to face the other other team in Madrid, Rayo Vallecano. Rayo have their own fish to fry as they attempt to stay in the mix for a Europa League spot or better.
Rayo Vallecano vs. Atletico Madrid: Preview and TV schedule
Atletico Madrid haven’t been very good on the road recently and will be looking to turn things around against a Rayo Vallecano team that’s fighting for a European spot.
Denis Doyle
Radamel Falcao is back and fully recovered from a hamstring injury with is a nice boost for Atelti’s hopes of at least holding on to second place. Diego Simeone does have to juggle a mid-week Europea League against Rubin Kazan but his team should be used to that at this point.
Rayo need points to keep pace with Malaga, Valencia and Betis in the chase for European spots. A loss wouldn't be the end of the world but if Paco Jémez's team wants to pull off the surprise qualification, they're going to need to grab some points from games like this.
One hopeful sign for Rayo is Atleti’s recent struggles on the road. They haven’t won a match away from the Vicente Calderón since mid-November.
Rayo Vallecano injuries and suspensions
Out: Mikel Labaka (ankle), Sergio Rodríguez (thigh), Tito (suspended). In doubt: None.
Atletico Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Diego Costa (suspended). In Doubt: Player 2 (calf).
Diego Costa is serving a red card suspension for Atletico, but they’re healthy other than that. Labaka, Rodriguez and Tito will all miss the match for Rayo.
Match Date/Time: 9 p.m. local, 3 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio del Rayo Vallecano, Madrid, Spain
TV: beIN Sport en Español (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), Sportsnet (Canada)
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