Rayo Vallecano vs Elche Prediction: BTTS the top bet for Friday’a La Liga Clash

Club football is finally back this weekend and for whatever reason, it seems like the International break was just longer this time around. Still, it is good to be back and we kick off this week in Spain with a clash between 14th and 17th. La Liga TV will cover the match in the UK with kick-off set for 20:00.

As always, our Spanish football expert takes the helm as he previews the action and gives us his top two Rayo Vallecano Predictions plus all the team news, predicted line ups and stats...

Rayo Vallecano vs Elche Preview:

La Liga returns from the international break with a relegation six-pointer at the Estadio de Vallecas. Both Rayo Vallecano and Elche are bidding to put distance between themselves and the bottom three. 

While Rayo already have a four-point cushion on the relegation zone, this is still a very important game for Iñigo Pérez's side. Win it, and they'd be in a much better position to really target the Conference League. The Madrid club will host AEK Athens in the first leg of their quarter-final next week. 

It's not a great surprise that the demands of European football have led to a poorer league campaign. Rayo are by no means regulars on the continental stage and they remain the worst-run club in La Liga on many levels. 

The most recent example of that was the dreadful state of the Vallecas pitch, which led to the postponement of their game against Real Oviedo earlier this year. Los Franjirrojos were forced to play their subsequent home fixture against Atlético Madrid on neutral territory in Leganés. 

Players, coaches and supporters alike have been critical of the club's hierarchy, with regular calls for president Raúl Martín Presa to leave heard at every home match. However, despite the chaos at institutional level, this could yet end up being a historic season for Rayo, who have a realistic chance of winning their first ever major trophy. 

They performed well in their last league match away to Barcelona. They created four big chances at Camp Nou and won the xG count by a margin of 1.56-1.39. However, their recurring inability to finish chances cost them again in a 1-0 defeat against the league leaders. 

Elche did sign off for the international fortnight on a winning note. Their 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers Mallorca was a first win of 2026 for Eder Sarabia's side and a badly needed one. The victory ensured Los Franjiverdes crept back above their opponents and out of the relegation zone heading into the break. 

They've since beaten Aston Villa 2-1 in a friendly match, so the visitors should approach this game in better spirits than has been the case in recent months.  

Even during a period when results have been poor, Sarabia has stayed true to his possession-based philosophy. Elche had 52% of the ball in a 4-1 away defeat against Real Madrid in March, while only Los Blancos, Barcelona and Celta Vigo can better their 86% pass completion rate across the course of the season. 

However, defensive cracks have appeared as the season has progressed, and too often their football has been predictable and easy for opposing teams to counter. 

The visitors will be looking to top scorer Rafa Mir to spearhead their fight for survival. The forward has netted eight times in La Liga this season, and equalised against Mallorca a fortnight ago, before January signing Tete Morente popped up with a vital winner. 

Team News: 

Rayo Vallecano will be missing the suspended Pathé Ciss on Friday night. They also have fitness doubts over Fran Pérez and Nobel Mendy, but winger Ilias Akhomach is expected to be available following an ankle issue. 

That suggests Akhomach should start on the right flank, with Jorge de Frutos continuing up front, following his conversion to a striker this season. 

There are more injury problems for Elche. Sarabia won't be able to count on the services of John Donald, Grady Diangana, Víctor Chust and Héctor Fort in the Spanish capital. 

The visitors should continue with their regular 3-5-2 structure. They'll be forced into at least two changes as a result of the injuries, with Léo Pétrot and Gonzalo Villar potentially coming in. 

Match Odds: 

Rayo Vallecano head into this game as the 4/5 favourites. You can back the Draw at 13/5, while Elche are priced at 7/2 to claim their first away league win of the season. 

The hosts are also on offer at 10/11 to score over 1.5 goals. They're given a 7/4 chance of winning the match to nil, while you can back Pérez's men to win and both teams to score at boosted odds of 7/2. 

Alternatively, Elche are on offer at 13/8 to win either half. Los Franjiverdes are also given a 3/1 chance of scoring over 1.5 goals across the 90 minutes. 

De Frutos is the obvious pick in the Goalscorer markets. The Spain international has scored 10 times in 27 league appearances this term. He's priced at 10/3 to score first, and 23/20 to score anytime on Friday night. 

From a visiting perspective, Mir is available at 9/4 as an anytime goalscorer bet. You can also back fellow striker Álvaro Rodríguez to get on the scoresheet at 3/1. 

*You can place a bet on this match and check out all of our Rayo Vallecano vs Elche Odds over on betfred.com

Bet 1 - Both teams to score @ 10/11 

Despite their winless away record, Elche have shown no sign that they are going to start parking the bus on their travels. Even away against the top clubs they've looked to play their regular passing game, and they have scored in all but two of their road fixtures this season in La Liga. 

With both teams scoring in all of their last five matches, and 86% of their road fixtures across the entire campaign, there are strong statistical reasons to see value in backing both teams to score at 10/11 here. 

That bet has also landed in four of Rayo's last six league games. It really should have been five out of six given how many clear chances they had against Barcelona last time out. 

Bet 2 - Rayo Vallecano or Draw & Most corners - Rayo Vallecano @ 8/11 

Elche are easy on the eye, but too often they're a bit of a soft touch on the road. Sarabia's unwillingness to adapt his methods away from the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero could end up costing them their place in the Spanish top flight. 

There's little prospect of their first away win coming on Friday. Rayo have only lost twice at home in La Liga this term, and they'll be going strong with their lineup in this game, with plenty of recovery time ahead of next Thursday's Conference League clash. 

Rayo also tend to win plenty of corners. They're averaging 6.79 per game in front of their own fans in the league, while Elche have won only 3.14 corners per 90 minutes on the road. 

Given that, I'm using the Bet Builder to back Rayo Vallecano or Draw and Most corners - Rayo Vallecano at 8/11. 

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You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...