Las Palmas vs Rayo Vallecano

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The Spanish La Liga is back with a fresh round of matches, and this Sunday, Las Palmas and Rayo Vallecano will face off at the Gran Canaria Stadium. Garcia Pimienta's team will be eager to secure a victory against the visitors, as they haven't won any of their last eight encounters since October 2012.

Las Palmas has maintained their resurgence, securing a 2-1 victory over Villarreal in their most recent match before the international break. Pimienta's squad has won three of their last four games, with the only exception being a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid on September 27. This is a significant improvement from their initial five winless matches in the league.

Currently, Las Palmas is in 10th place in the La Liga standings with 11 points from nine matches, tied with ninth-placed Valencia. On the other hand, Rayo Vallecano has been involved in four consecutive draws, with their most recent match ending 2-2 against Sevilla. Francisco Rodriguez's team has gone undefeated in their last six matches across all competitions, securing two wins and four draws since their 1-0 victory over Real Betis in September. Rayo Vallecano currently occupies the seventh spot in the La Liga standings, level on 13 points with eighth-placed Real Betis after nine matches.

In the history of their meetings, Rayo Vallecano holds a slight advantage with seven wins from the last 21 encounters, while Las Palmas has one fewer win, and eight matches have ended in draws. Pimienta's team is unbeaten in their last seven La Liga home matches, with two wins and five draws since their 1-0 defeat against Real Oviedo in April. Vallecano has been undefeated in four of their five away games this season, securing two wins and two draws.

Under the leadership of former Barcelona youth coach Garcia Pimienta, Las Palmas earned promotion to the Spanish top-flight as runners-up in the second-tier last year. They are known for their style influenced by La Masia and the "Brazilians of Spanish football" stereotype as the Canary Islanders. Despite a slow start to the season, they now find themselves in the top half of the table with three victories in their last four matches. However, it's worth noting that they have only scored six goals so far this season.

Off the field, Rayo Vallecano has faced controversies that have tarnished their club's history and reputation. Despite the loss of manager Andoni Iraola and key players like Alejandro Catena, Fran Garcia, and Santi Comesana, they have exceeded pre-season expectations. Their recent outing against Sevilla earned them a respectable point, although Sevilla was underperforming at the time. Rayo Vallecano has suffered only two defeats in their first nine matches and, once again, finds themselves in the top half of the La Liga table at the start of the season.

Las Palmas, with 11 points, will host Rayo Vallecano, who have 13 points. There's only a four-place difference between these two LaLiga clubs.

While it's expected to be a potentially dramatic match, the prediction leans towards Rayo Vallecano securing a favorable outcome. It might not be an exhilarating game, but the visiting team is poised to come out on top.

Las Palmas hasn't had smooth sailing in some of their recent performances, particularly at home. Their goal-scoring record on their own turf has averaged 0.7 goals over their last nine games. Even if they face a weakened opponent, these statistics make this match an intriguing one. Defensively, Las Palmas has raised some concerns, having conceded at least one goal in their last three matches. Any selection issues they face could spell trouble for them in this game.

Rayo Vallecano has demonstrated their prowess, particularly in front of the goal. They have scored two or more goals in three of their last five away matches. Their defense has been solid on the road, conceding an average of just 0.6 goals in their last five away games, giving them a strong foundation to work with. The away team is expected to pose a significant threat, and they are confident in their chances.

However, the home team did not have any new fitness problems in their victory against Villarreal, so it would not be unexpected to see the same starting lineup for this match.

Last time, Munir El Haddadi played in a wide area, and that is expected to be the case again here with Marc Cardona operating through the middle and having two league goals to his name this season.

In contrast, Rayo's team is in good form. Khalid Abdul Mumin is back in the lineup after serving a suspension, while Randy Nteka is the sole player who has been ruled out until November due to a muscular issue.

Over the past month, Los Amarillos have displayed impressive form, securing nine points in four matches. Their sole defeat in this period occurred against the current league leaders, Real Madrid. In their most recent two outings, Garcia Pimienta's team triumphed over Celta Vigo and Villarreal, accumulating a total of 11 points from nine games, which positions them in 10th place in the league table.

Las Palmas is now just four points behind the sixth-placed Real Sociedad, illustrating how quickly the standings can change. The team seems to possess the necessary quality to maintain their position in the league.

La Union Deportiva spent five seasons in the Segunda Division before making their way back to the top tier, where they haven't finished higher than 11th since their sixth-place finish in the 1978-79 season. This term represents a significant opportunity for Pio Pio to aim for.

On the other hand, Rayo has had a solid start to the season, recording three wins, four draws, and two defeats in their nine matches, amassing a total of 13 points, placing them in eighth position. They enter this match on a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, but their last four La Liga matches have all ended in draws. Notably, they were 2-0 ahead against Sevilla at Estadio Ramon, but the home side managed to stage a comeback, resulting in a 2-2 draw, with the equalizer coming in the 96th minute.

In their previous two seasons at this level, the Vallecas-based team finished 12th and 11th, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them end the current campaign in a similar position. In the past, three of the last four encounters between these two teams, all in the Segunda Division, ended in draws. However, Rayo secured a 2-0 victory in their most recent La Liga clash in February 2016.