La Liga | Gameweek 38

May 24, 2025 at 8pm UK

Estadio de Vallecas

Rayo Vallecano vs Mallorca

Match preview

Rayo Vallecano are heading into the final day of the La Liga season hoping to secure a place in European football for the first time since 2001 and only the second time in their history. They have climbed into the top eight of La Liga in recent weeks.

Having finished one place and five points above the relegation zone last time, Los Franjirrojos have enjoyed a much-improved campaign, earning 51 points from 37 games so far, with 13 wins and 12 losses.

Their top-eight hopes appeared to fade in an April winless streak of four matches, but Inigo Perez's side have since bounced back in style, climbing from 11th place with 1-0 victories over Getafe and Las Palmas, and earning a point in a 1-1 draw with sixth-placed Real Betis.

This left Los Franjirrojos four points behind Celta Vigo in the final guaranteed Europa League spot, with two games remaining and a meeting between the two sides still to come. They kept their top-seven hopes alive, narrowing the gap with a crucial 2-1 win — coming from behind thanks to Isi Palazón's early equaliser and Jorge de Frutos' decisive goal.

Currently in eighth position, which would earn them a Europa Conference League play-off spot, Rayo Vallecano know that a victory would see them climb to seventh if Celta Vigo drop points, while a loss or draw could see them fall out of the continental spots. They will therefore be desperate to end the season with a fourth win in five games and secure a place in Europe next term.

Meanwhile, their visitors make the trip having fallen out of European contention last time, leaving them fighting to maintain their top-half spot on the final day.

Mallorca led Saturday's hosts and were as high as seventh in late April, having spent most of the campaign in the top eight with 44 points from 32 games.

However, they have since experienced a tough schedule, adding just three more points to their tally with a 2-1 home victory over Real Valladolid, following back-to-back defeats to Barcelona and Girona.

This left Jagoba Arrasate's side in eighth place heading into the final three games. However, they failed to build on this result and went on to narrowly lose 2-1 away to Real Madrid after conceding a late winner. Then, last weekend, they hosted Getafe and lost by the same scoreline, with Cyle Larin's late goal proving insufficient to spark a turnaround.

Now unable to catch their eighth-placed hosts or ninth-placed Osasuna, with 11^(th)-placed Real Sociedad just one point behind, Mallorca will go in search of a final-day win to at least secure a top-half finish in what has been an improved and commendable campaign.

Recent Performance

Rayo Vallecano La Liga form:DLWWDW

Mallorca La Liga form:DLLWLL

Team News

Rayo Vallecano would have hoped to field the same starting XI as in their crucial win over Celta Vigo last time out. However, they will be without the suspended midfielder Óscar Valentín, while Sergio Camello, Jonathan Montiel and Abdul Mumin remain sidelined.

Isi Palazón will keep his place up front, having scored his fourth league goal of the season in that win. Meanwhile, winger Jorge de Frutos is a danger man, having scored a team-high eight goals across all competitions this term.

With Valentin absent, Gerard Gumbau is expected to join Unai López in midfield, while Pathe Ciss should partner Florian Lejeune at the heart of a back four.

Mallorca will be without Chiquinho, Abdon Prats and Takuma Asano for the final day of the La Liga season due to ongoing injury issues.

Pablo Maffeo is a new injury concern after being forced off last time, and Cyle Larin is expected to replace him on the wing. Larin came on to score his seventh league goal of the season last time.

Larin will likely join Dani Rodriguez and Sergi Darder in supporting frontman Vedat Muriqi, who has also scored seven goals this season. Antonio Raillo and Martin Valjent are regulars at the heart of a back four.

Possible starting lineup

Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:

Batalla; Balliu, Lejeune, Ciss, Pacha; Ratiu, Lopez, Gumbau, De Frutos; Palazon, Embarba

Mallorca possible starting lineup:

Greif; Bauza, Valjent, Raillo, Mojica; Mascarell, Costa; Larin, Darder, Rodriguez; Muriqi