AEK Athens vs Rayo Vallecano Tips & Predictions – Low-Scoring Conference League Clash
Rayo Vallecano is facing difficulties on the road this La Liga season, having scored merely 12 goals across 16 away matches. As they head to Athens, a strategy concentrated on defense is expected, even if it means allowing a single goal. Betting on Under 2.5 goals seems a prudent choice given the team's recent performance metrics and focus. This betting angle capitalizes on Rayo's proven inefficiency at scoring away from home.
- Rayo Vallecano are not scoring a lot of goals on the road in La Liga
- We are predicting a tight tussle in Athens on Thursday
- Check our full preview for AEK Athens vs Rayo Vallecano below
Rayo Vallecano will try to slow this game down after winning the first tie, and I don’t expect them to leave much space for AEK. Under 2.5 goals looks like a reasonable selection here.
- Key Stats
- This Will be Their Second H2H
- AEK’s Chances to Advance are Not Looking Great
- Rayo Likely to Sit Back and Defend
- Team News & Predicted Lineups
Key Stats
- AEK Athens have seen under 2.5 goals in 2 of their last 3 home matches.
- Rayo Vallecano have seen under 2.5 goals in 4 of their last 6 matches.
- Rayo Vallecano have scored just 12 goals in their last 16 away matches (La Liga).
This Will be Their Second H2H
Last week’s clash in Spain was the first head to head meeting between these two sides.
AEK’s Chances to Advance are Not Looking Great
AEK Athens’ chances to reach the Conference League semifinals have been reduced to a minimum after losing the first tie to Rayo Vallecano 3-0. Things could have been less tragic if their strikers didn’t miss three solid goal chances.
The Double-Headed Eagles have shown two faces in the previous Conference League round against not-so-strong side Celje. After winning the first tie in Slovenia 4-0, they lost 2-0 at home in mid-March.
Marko Nikolic’s side is leading in title race in the Greek Super League 1 though, beating Olympiakos 1-0 in their most recent domestic clash and now hold a four-point advantage.
Rayo Likely to Sit Back and Defend
Rayo Vallecano capitalized on their first-half opportunities last week against AEK, Ilias Akhomach and Unai Lopez scoring before the break, while Isaac Palazon converted a penalty later to secure a huge 3-0 advantage.
Their performances in the previous Conference League round against Samsunspor were not impressive, but advanced 3-2 on aggregate. Alemao was the hero in this tie, netting two goals.
Rayo Vallecano’s problems with inconsistency in La Liga continued throughout April. After beating Elche 1-0 at home, they were beaten at Mallorca 3-0 last weekend despite having higher xG 1.95-1.68 and firing more shots 17-12.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
AEK Athens (3-5-2): Thomas Strakosha, Lazaros Rota, Harold Moukoudi, Ricardo Relvas, Stavros Pilios, Aboubakary Koita, Orbelin Pineda, Marin, Roberto Pereyra, Mijat Gacinovic, Barnabas Varga
Petros Mantalos is the only injury concern for AEK Athens, recovering from a muscle pain, while their most prolific striker Luka Jovic is serving a one-game suspension.
Rayo Vallecano (4-2-3-1): Augusto Batalla, Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Luiz Felipe, Pep Chavarria, Unai Lopez, Pathe Ciss, Ilias Akhomach, Isi Palazon, Alvaro Garcia, Jorge De Frutos
Rayo's Randy Nteka, Abdul Mumin, Joszhua Vertrouwd and Fran Perez are sidelined with injuries.
Verdict
Rayo are having problems with efficiency on the road this season, netting just 12 goals in 16 La Liga matches. I expect them to focus on defending in Athens, even if they concede one goal, so Under 2.5 bet makes a lot of sense.
Under 2.5 Goals
Total Goals
@1/1 - 2 Units
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AEK Athens v Rayo Vallecano
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