Spanish La Liga
2025-09-24 - Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
A Sports Betting Pick by Gladiator
Football: Spanish La Liga - Round 6
Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid), Spain
Wednesday, 24th September 2025 - Kick Off 22:30 CET
Atl Madrid
Atletico Madrid return to the Metropolitano looking to steady the ship after a frustrating 1-1 draw away to Mallorca. Diego Simeone’s men were in control for much of that game before a late equaliser cost them two points, with a missed penalty and a red card adding to the disappointment.
That result extended their slow start to the season, with only one win in their last six competitive matches, a record that doesn’t sit well with a squad of Atletico’s calibre.
Despite that, home form remains a source of encouragement. Los Rojiblancos are unbeaten at the Metropolitano since early April, and they have also dominated recent home encounters against Rayo, scoring freely while keeping things tight at the back.
With Julián Álvarez back in the side and looking to make amends for his missed penalty last weekend, Atleti will be confident of rediscovering their winning touch here.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano arrive in Madrid after a battling 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo, showing once again their resilience when falling behind. That result, however, stretched their winless run to three matches, a sharp contrast to their bright start to the campaign, where they picked up three victories in four games.
Their ability to respond to setbacks has been admirable, but the lack of killer instinct in recent weeks has left points on the table.
History is certainly against them in this fixture. Rayo have failed to beat Atletico in over a decade, with their last success in this matchup coming back in 2013. Since then, they’ve managed only four draws from 18 encounters, often finding it difficult to break down Simeone’s disciplined defensive unit.
With goals drying up and a daunting record against their city rivals, Rayo will need something special to end their barren run here.
The Betting Verdict
Atletico’s overall form might raise questions, but their home record and dominance in this head-to-head make them worthy favourites.
Simeone’s men rarely slip up at the Metropolitano, and with Rayo struggling to find consistent attacking output, this looks like the perfect opportunity for Atleti to grind out a much-needed victory.
A tight contest is expected given both sides’ recent tendency towards low-scoring games, but the hosts should edge it.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Rayo Vallecano
