- Rayo Vallecano are unbeaten in three LaLiga 2026/2027 home matches (W2, D1).
- Athletic Bilbao have taken one win and one defeat from two away matches in LaLiga 2026/2027.
- Athletic Bilbao are marginally more likely than Rayo Vallecano in the betting, with the draw also not far off.
Intriguing clash of styles at Vallecas
A tightly contested game is expected when two of the more progressive sides in LaLiga 2026/2027 come head-to-head on Saturday at the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas in Spain.
Rayo and Athletic are two clubs that like to play and that should ensure that the action flows in this fixture.
The home team, who have started the season in mid-table obscurity in 12th place, want to control the ball and run at their opponents. But Athletic, who are also sitting on 8 points after six games and are just two places above Rayo in 10th, have been built for more verticality and will be keen to counter-attack.
Franjirrojos have a forward who is on a hot streak
They have some exciting players in the final third to do that, with Robert Navarro their main man in the end product with two LaLiga goals in five appearances this term. But Rayo's danger man is Sergio Camello, Rayo's leading scorer with seven goals in seven games.
The 24-year-old is on a goal run with six strikes in his team's last five games, which have seen Rayo win two, draw one and lose two of their last five matches. They lost 4-1 at Real Madrid last weekend before beating Espanyol 2-1 at home and were held to a 1-1 draw at Osasuna in their first away fixture in the competition.
Leones are a well-balanced side with goals at both ends
Benat San Jose's side are unbeaten in their three home matches this season and they should be up for this as they welcome Edin Terzic's Athletic Bilbao, who are one of the hottest teams in the division and are currently undefeated in five games (W3, D2).
They have drawn 0-0 with Deportivo Alaves in their last LaLiga match and beat Real Sociedad 1-0 away in a friendly.
The last meeting between these two in Vallecas in the LaLiga 2025/2026 season finished 1-1 and with Athletic having taken four of the last five head-to-heads, the Leones are the preferred choice of both sides here, although at 2.3 they are only slightly favoured by the bookmakers.
Odds on both teams to score still tempting
Rayo are 2.95 and the draw 3.35, so this is a fixture that looks very open on paper. Athletic have a better record this season so there is merit in supporting them to take the points, but it also has all the hallmarks of a draw. Rayo will control the game while Athletic will counter-attack, but the turnovers and the space behind Rayo's line should determine the rhythm and tempo of the game.
Backing under 2.5 goals at 1.93 looks a good play for a cagey affair, although both teams to score is still tempting at 1.67, especially as Rayo have scored in their three home league games so far while Athletic have conceded only twice in two away fixtures.
