La Liga 2026–2027: Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano—Probable Lineups

Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano face off at 9 p.m. in the derby that wraps up Saturday’s action on Matchday 5 of La Liga. After last weekend’s loss to Betis, Mourinho’s team bounced back with a victory over Inter in the Champions League, and now must get back on track in the league to keep pace with Barcelona, which is already the sole leader. Rayo won their first game of the season last Saturday at home against Racing Santander and now sit in 14th place with 4 points.

Mourinho is expected to continue relying on Mbappé as the center forward, with Guler, Bellingham, and Vinicius creating chances behind him. In midfield will be Valverde and either Bernardo Silva or Camavinga, while the fullbacks will be Dumfries and Cucurella.

Camello and Garcia lead the visitors’ attack, joined by Tsitaishvili. The midfield features Unai Lopez, Valentin, and Diaz. Ratiu and Pedrosa will occupy the wings.

Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano: Probable Lineups
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bernardo; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappé.
Rayo Vallecano (4-3-3): Cárdenas; Ratiu, Lejeune, Ciss, Pedrosa; López, Valentín, Díaz; Tsitaishvili, Camello, A. García.

The Special One had this to say on the eve of the match: “We’re happy, united, and working well. Working well also means recovering well. Today we held a tactical training session without too much intensity, for a short period, but with great respect for our opponents. They’re coming off a win, and even though they haven’t won other matches, they’ve shown their quality. Diomandé? I don’t want to say who will play and who won’t. It’s a game we have to win and approach with determination. Obviously, there’s room for fresh energy—legs with plenty of gas left. We worked very hard in Tuesday’s game. Right now, we have a roster with many options.”