Rayo Vallecano hosted Deportivo Alavés on Thursday, August 20, 2026, in a Round 2 La Liga meeting at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in Leganés. The Rayo Vallecano vs Alavés fixture was moved away from Rayo’s usual home at Estadio de Vallecas because of safety concerns.
The hosts arrived looking to respond after a 2–1 defeat to Sevilla in their opening match, while Alavés carried confidence from a 3–0 victory over Getafe. With both teams entering the game with different results from Matchday 1, the Rayo Vallecano vs Alavés contest offered an early test of their ambitions for the new season.
Rayo Vallecano vs Alavés Team News and Lineups
Rayo Vallecano started with Augusto Batalla in goal, protected by Iván Balliu, Pathé Ciss, Florian Lejeune and Andrei Rațiu. Unai López and Óscar Valentín formed the midfield base, while Álvaro García, Isi Palazón, Jorge De Frutos and Sergio Camello provided the main attacking threat.
The hosts were still without Luiz Felipe and Marash Kumbulla, who remained sidelined with hamstring and muscle injuries respectively. Their absences left Rayo with fewer options in central defense during an important early-season fixture.
Alavés were expected to use Antonio Sivera between the posts, with Nahuel Tenaglia, Ville Koski and Jonny Otto among the defensive options. Ángel Pérez, Pablo Ibáñez and Antonio Blanco were set to provide midfield balance, while Denis Suárez, Abde Rebbach, Toni Martínez and Mariano Díaz offered attacking options.
Alavés were missing Lucas Boyé through injury, while Facundo Garcés was unavailable because of suspension.
Head-to-Head Record and Recent Form
The form books favored Alavés at the start of the season, but the historical matchup offered Rayo plenty of encouragement. Rayo had won seven of the previous 10 meetings between the teams, showing a strong recent advantage despite Alavés’ impressive opening result.
The last meeting also went Rayo’s way. They recorded a 2–1 away victory at Mendizorrotza on May 23, 2026, in the final game of the previous La Liga season.
That history added another layer to the Rayo Vallecano vs Alavés encounter, with Rayo seeking a response after losing their opener and Alavés aiming to build on their strong start. The unusual venue at Butarque also added an element of intrigue, as both teams looked to make an early statement in the campaign.
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