Real Madrid will host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu for a key LaLiga clash following Barcelona's win at Elche on Saturday. Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa spoke ahead of the match and after the disappointing 4-2 defeat against Benfica in the Champions League's last match and faced some criticism on the way he handled the rotations in the latest matches.
"I understand the football debates. But I always want to have the best players on the pitch. The more minutes they can play for me, at the disposal of the team, the better. We saw it, for example, in Villarreal. with two minutes left in stoppage time, Mbappé's goal came from a very good move by Vinícius Jr, who went inside, turned the play and found Mbappé, who was awarded a penalty," the coach said. "These are players who are capable of deciding a match at any minute. There will be people who aren't Madrid fans who don't want them on the pitch. I imagine that Madrid fans want their best players to always be available and on the pitch. The five players you said are players who, on a world level, can be in the top ten. They have my full confidence. It's not my confidence, it's their performance that puts them on the field."
Here's what you need to know ahead of the game:
How to watch Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano, odds
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 1 | Time: 8 a.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu -- Madrid
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Real Madrid -388; Draw +488; Rayo Vallecano +975
Possible lineups
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois; Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Aurelien Tchouamenil; Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham; Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.
Rayo Vallecano XI: Augusto Batalla; Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Nobel Mendy, Pep Chavarria; Isi Palazon, Pathe Ciss, Pedro Diaz; Ilias Akhomach, Jorge de Frutos, Alvaro Garcia.
Prediction
The Blancos are expected to win easily against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday after losing 4-2 against Benfica over the week in the last matchday of the Champions League. Pick: Real Madrid 2, Rayo Vallecano 0.
