Valencia will be looking to build on their thumping victory last time out when they continue their La Liga campaign away to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday afternoon.
Los Che recorded a 5-1 win over Getafe last Sunday to move into 10th spot in the table, while Rayo will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna
Rayo finished 12th in La Liga last season on their return to the top flight, and the capital side are bidding to make it successive campaigns at this level of football for the first time since 2015-16.
Andoni Iraola’s side started their season impressively, drawing at Barcelona on the opening weekend before recording a 2-0 victory over Espanyol to make it four points from two matches.
Rayo have now lost their last two, though, suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to Mallorca at the end of August before starting September with a 2-1 loss at Osasuna.
A total of four points has left them in 14th position in the table, and they will now take on a Valencia side that have only won one of the last seven top-flight meetings between the two sides.
Both matches last term finished in 1-1 draws, while Valencia have not actually overcome Los Franjirrojos away from home in Spain’s top flight since May 2013.
Valencia, as mentioned, will enter this game off the back of a morale-boosting result against Getafe, recording a 5-1 victory at Mestalla to post their second win of the campaign.
Toni Lato, Samuel Lino, Samu Castillejo, Nico Gonzalez and Hugo Duro were all on the scoresheet last time out, with the result following back-to-back 1-0 losses to Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid.
A record of six points from four matches has left Gennaro Gattuso’s side in 10th spot in the table, and they will now be looking for two more wins against Rayo and Celta Vigo ahead of the September international break.
Valencia finished ninth in La Liga last term but will be hoping to push closer to the European spots this term; they are some way from the side that finished fourth in back-to-back campaigns in 2017-18 and 2018-19, though, so it will be tough to challenge the top six.
Los Che, as mentioned, have found it difficult to beat Rayo in recent years, but they have lost just once to the capital side away from home since March 2014.
Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:
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Valencia La Liga form:
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We say: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Valencia
Five of the last seven La Liga meetings between these two sides have finished level, and we are backing another draw here. Valencia will be full of confidence due to their strong win last time out, but we believe that Rayo have enough quality to secure a point in front of their own supporters.