Getafe's search for their first point of the 2021-22 La Liga season will continue on Saturday afternoon when they take on Rayo Vallecano at Estadio de Vallecas.
Rayo have picked up four points from their first four matches of the campaign to occupy 12th position in the table, while Getafe sit 19th, having lost their opening four fixtures this term.
Match preview
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Rayo secured a return to this level of football via the Segunda Division playoffs last term, and the capital club will be looking to consolidate in La Liga, having struggled to stay in the top flight since 2016.
An encouraging start to the season has seen Andoni Iraola's side pick up four points from their opening four matches, which has left them in 12th position in the table.
Rayo opened their 2021-22 campaign with back-to-back losses against Sevilla and Real Sociedad, but they recorded an impressive 4-0 win over Granada before the international break and then claimed a welcome point away to Levante on their return to the field on September 11.
Los Franjirrojos will know that their home form is likely to be crucial if they are to stay in the top flight, and the club's supporters will certainly have been encouraged by their team's performance against Granada.
Rayo have also secured a deal for 35-year-old forward Radamel Falcao, and the Colombia international will be hoping to add to the 52 La Liga goals that he scored during his time Atletico Madrid.
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Getafe, meanwhile, have made a disastrous start to the 2021-22 campaign, losing each of their four matches against Valencia, Sevilla, Barcelona and Elche to occupy 19th position in the table.
The Deep Blue Ones finished eighth, fifth and eighth in their first three seasons back at this level of football after dropping out of the top flight for 2016-17, but they ended last term down in 15th, just four points above the bottom three, and it appears that they could be in a relegation fight this term.
Getafe have had a tough start to the season in terms of the quality of the opposition, but their home defeat to Elche on September 13 would have been concerning to the club's supporters.
Michel's side will view this match as the perfect chance to put their first points on the board, and the contest is even more important considering that their next game is against the champions Atletico Madrid.
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Team News
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Falcao is in line to make his debut for Rayo this weekend, and it would not be a surprise to see the experienced striker go straight into the starting XI against Getafe.
Rayo's squad is in excellent shape at the moment in terms of injuries, with the club having no confirmed absentees at this stage.
The majority of the side that started against Levante should again take to the field, but Randy Nteka's position is under threat from Falcao, although head coach Iraola will need to monitor the fitness of the Colombian before making a final decision on his involvement.
As for Getafe, Mauro Arambarri will miss the contest due to a hamstring problem, while Sabit Abdulai remains on the sidelines due to a knee injury.
Head coach Michel is expected to make changes to the side that started against Elche last time out, with Timor in line to replace the injured Arambarri in the middle of the park.
Sandro Ramirez is also pushing to take the place of Enes Unal, while Vitolo could also be deployed in a forward area, with Jaime Mata potentially dropping down to the bench for the visitors.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Balliu, Saveljich, Catena, Garcia; Ciss, Comesana; Merquelanz, Trejo, Alvaro; Falcao
Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Dakonam, Cuenca, Olivera; Suarez, Maksimovic, Timor, Alena, Jankto; Vitolo, Sandro
We say: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Getafe
Getafe will be desperate to avoid another defeat, which could create a cagey affair this weekend. Rayo have shown a lot of promise in the early stages of the season, but we are struggling to separate the two teams here and have therefore had to settle on a low-scoring draw.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rayo Vallecano win with a probability of 48.75%. A draw had a probability of 28.1% and a win for Getafe had a probability of 23.17%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rayo Vallecano win was 1-0 with a probability of 15.26%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (10.25%) and 2-1 (8.52%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.69%), while for a Getafe win it was 0-1 (9.45%). The actual scoreline of 3-0 was predicted with a 4.6% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Rayo Vallecano would win this match.
