Rayo Vallecano is approaching this match in excellent spirits: the team has reached the Conference League semifinals and secured a place in La Liga. Rayo is playing very confidently at home, with only two defeats in 16 home matches. Meanwhile, Espanyol is in a deep crisis: they haven't won a single La Liga game since 2026, going five matches without a win (four defeats and a draw). Espanyol have lost three of their last four away games, conceding between two and four goals in each.
The hosts' personnel advantage is also significant. Espanyol's top scorer, Javi Puado, is injured, and the team has looked absolutely toothless in attack in recent matches. Rayo, however, even with defensive losses (Lejeune, Mendy), is holding their own at home and is able to finish off opponents with the help of the crowd. The first face-to-face meeting (1:0 in favor of Espanyol) was back in December, and since then the visitors have completely lost their form.
