Rayo are gearing up for their fourth consecutive season in Spain's top division, having narrowly avoided relegation last season by finishing 17th, just five points clear of the drop zone.
Los Franjirrojos are currently experiencing their best stretch in La Liga since 2016, and they've strengthened their squad this summer with the signings of Pedro Diaz, Pelayo Fernandez, Gerard Gumbau, and Adri Embarba.
The most significant departure has been Andres Martin in terms of transfer fees, while Stole Dimitrievski, Radamel Falcao, and Jose Pozo have also left the club since the end of last season.
Inigo Perez's team managed to hold Real Sociedad to draws in both of their league encounters last season, but they haven’t beaten the Basque side in La Liga since January 2015, highlighting the challenge they face in this weekend's match.
The Madrid-based team earned a respectable 18 points away from home last season, while Real Sociedad boasted the eighth-best home record, securing 30 points from 19 games.
When Real Sociedad hosts Rayo Vallecano at Anoeta Stadium on Sunday night, they will be seeking to start their 2024–25 La Liga campaign as strongly as possible.
While Rayo concluded the season in 17th place, five points above the relegation zone, the hosts finished sixth in La Liga the previous season to guarantee a position in the league phase of this season's Europa League.
Real Sociedad finished sixth in the Spanish top division last season after missing out on back-to-back top-four finishes. They advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions League thanks to an outstanding performance.
The Basque team is getting ready to play in the Europa League this season, but their first priority will be La Liga. They will play Rayo on the first weekend of the new season, then Espanyol (A) and Alaves (H) before the end of the month.
This summer, Imanol Alguacil's team brought in three new players: Luka Sucic, Sergio Gomez, and Javi Lopez. However, their most notable loss was Robin Le Normand, who joined Atletico Madrid.
Martin Zubimendi, however, has managed to stay with Real Sociedad; the midfield player recently declined a transfer to Liverpool and is expected to stay with the team for at least another season.
The team is capable of contending for a European spot in Spain's top flight once more, but there is still uncertainty around the future of Mikel Merino, who is linked to Arsenal. This might push the team to enter the transfer market before it shuts.
Sucic and Gomez are anticipated to make their Real Sociedad debuts, while Mikel Oyarzabal, who just scored the game-winning goal for Spain over England in the Euro 2024 final, is slated to lead the line.
Regarding Rayo, head coach Perez is probably going to be missing Diego Mendez because of a ligament injury, but other than that, the visitors should be able to field a complete team for the start of the season.
After helping Spain win Olympic gold in Paris, Sergio Camello, a 23-year-old who scored twice against France in the final, is back in training and will be leading the Rayo line this time.
Gumbau and Embarba ought to start the season as soon as the whistle blows, but other recent additions Diaz and Fernandez are probably going to be among the replacements for the opening contest.
