Rayo Vallecano welcome Espanyol to Campo de Futbol de Vallecas on Tuesday evening for the sixth fixture of the La Liga regular season, with kick-off at 17:00 UTC. The hosts sit 16th in the 20-team table, while Espanyol occupy eighth place, three points ahead of their opponents.
Rayo Vallecano head into this match having taken four points from their last five outings. Their record across those five matches reads one win, one draw and three defeats, with a goals record of 8-14 across their first five La Liga appearances this season. They currently sit in the bottom third of the table with four points from five played.
Espanyol arrive in rather steadier shape, having collected seven points from their last five matches. Their season record shows two wins, one draw and two defeats, with eight goals scored and five conceded, leaving them with seven points and a mid-table standing at this early stage of the campaign.
The two sides have met twice in recent head-to-head fixtures, with each team winning one encounter. Espanyol claimed a 1-0 victory on 7 December 2025, before Rayo Vallecano reversed that result with a 1-0 win of their own on 23 April 2026. The ledger is therefore level heading into Tuesday's meeting.
With a three-point gap between the sides and Rayo Vallecano sitting in the bottom third of the table, the stakes at Vallecas are plain. Espanyol, three points and eight places better off, travel to a ground where the most recent encounter went the way of the home side.