Betting.Betfair Game of the Day: Bank on victory for Vallecano

Our Game of the Day for Monday takes us off to Spain where surprising Rayo Vallecano look to get into the European places if they can beat Mallorca.

The newly-promoted duo have had differing starts to life back in the top flight, as Vallecano have settled right back into things and now want to try and bring European football to their suburb of Madrid – where they constantly have to play in the shadow of Real and Atletico.

Andoni Iraola’s side beat Barcelona and narrowly lost 2-1 to neighbours Real Madrid in their last three games, and can go above Barca with a rare three points against Mallorca – who they have a truly awful record against.

Luis Garcia’s visitors have found the going a bit harder since promotion and are one of the draw specialists of La Liga, who naturally drew in the last top-flight meeting between the clubs way back in 2013.

We continue our Game of the Day series with a look at the big game on Monday evening with some betting advice below, more on the teams, their stats and form and a specially-enhanced double from the Betfair traders.

Rayo Vallecano – the surprising newcomers

Only Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Atletico and Sevilla Madrid, the current top four in Spain, have won more games that Rayo Vallecano’s six this season. Of their five defeats only one has been to a team below them in the table.

They sit in seventh heading into this game but just a point behind Real Betis in the Europa League spot in fifth, which is some start for a team that only gained promotion via the Segunda Division play-offs last season.

Vallecano have been consistently inconsistent so far this season and haven’t as yet managed to string together two of the same results in back-to-back games. And if that trend continues then rule out a defeat for them in this one as they lost last time out to Real Madrid.

Former Monaco and Man Utd forward Radamel Falcao is their star man but the Colombian will be missing this one thanks to a groin problem, leaving Sergi Guardiola and Oscar Trejo to lead the attack.

Rayo are unbeaten at home this season with five wins and a draw leaving them with the joint second-best home record in the league alongside Sevilla. Barca have won one more point at the Nou Camp but from two more matches.

Mallorca – the draw specialists

Gaining promotion by finishing second in the Segunda last season, Mallorca have struggled a little more than Rayo, managing just three wins so far and conceding six more goals than they’ve managed to score.

Manager Luis Garcia doesn’t have fond memories of facing Rayo as he’s lost six of his last seven against them, but his team has had much better fortunes as Mallorca have lost just two of the last 14 meetings, winning eight and drawing four.

It’s those draws that have been Mallorca’s forte this season though, as they’ve recorded six stalemates so far this term and are on a run of four straight draws in La Liga – at least they’ve all been score draws!

Mallorca have a habit of winning at Vallecano though, with five wins in their last eight visits to the outskirts of Madrid after previously going 18 games without victory at the venue. They’re underdogs here though as Rayo looking like making a big splash this season.

Best bets and double OddsBoost

With no Falcao, Rayo will be looking at Sergi Guardiola for the goals up front, and he’s among the favourites to bag a goal here at 2.89/5 given his larger role for this game.

Midfielder Alvaro Garcia has been getting goals from midfield though, with four to his name this term and three of those coming in the last eight games.

The two men will carry the goal-scoring burden and with Mallorca conceding two goals a game on average away from home there’s certainly a chance they can both find the net on Monday night.

So, they’re our two men that we’re backing to score for our Betfair OddsBoost, with the scoring double enhanced to 7.513/2 to both score for our Game of the Day special.

Watch out for Rayo’s Oscar Trejo to bag an assist at 4.216/5 and he’s been laying goals on thick and fast this season. He’s got six already in just 12 games including four in the last five for the Argentinian can turn provider here again.

Rayo’s strong home form makes them worth backing here and as they’ve only conceded twice in six games Mallorca will be up against it to try and find the net. A home win to nil appeals but just to take in the possibility of the 2-1 then Vallecano and under 3.5 goals at only slightly shorter odds of 2.35/4 makes a safer play.

And for a final nugget, it’s worth noting that Mallorca have been in big trouble with the referees of late, having had four players sent off in the last four games.

It’s 3.613/5 for a red card to be shown in this game and 6.05/1 for a Mallorca man to be given his marching orders.