Real Madrid Hosts Rayo Vallecano in Madrid Derby

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 10:00 PM Bulgarian time, Real Madrid will host Rayo Vallecano in a Madrid derby for Matchday 5 of Spain's La Liga. The highly anticipated clash will take place at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

José Mourinho's side currently sits in 5th place in the league standings with 9 points after the first four rounds (3 wins, 1 loss), boasting a goal difference of 10:3. The "Royal Club" started their season strongly with three consecutive victories over Espanyol (2:1), Real Sociedad (4:1), and Malaga (4:0), before surprisingly falling 0:1 to Betis. During the week, Madrid returned to winning ways in the Champions League with a crucial 2:1 success against Inter.

Benat San José's team is positioned 13th in the table with 4 points from four matches played (1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses), and a goal difference of 7:10. Rayo began their campaign with a defeat to Sevilla (1:2), a draw against Alaves (1:1), and a heavy 2:5 loss to Barcelona. However, in their last league outing, they secured their first victory of the season, overcoming Racing Santander 3:2.

In recent years, Rayo Vallecano has proven to be an exceptionally tough and inconvenient opponent for the "Kings." In the last 6 official encounters between the two teams, Real Madrid has recorded only 2 victories, with the other 4 matches ending in draws (including two 0:0 stalemates, one 1:1, and a thrilling 3:3 goal-fest). The last clash at the Santiago Bernabéu in February 2026 ended in a narrow 2:1 success for Real.

Real Madrid has shown great efficiency at home, scoring a total of 8 goals in their two home league matches so far. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano's games since the start of the campaign have been remarkably high-scoring, averaging over 4 goals per match. Interestingly, draws have been the most frequent outcome in the Madrid derby between these two teams over the past three seasons.

Real Madrid faces several key absences due to injuries. Defenders Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy, along with winger Rodrygo, are sidelined and will miss the match. However, the hosts will have their star attacking talents Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham available.

Rayo Vallecano enters the derby with significant squad headaches. Attacking players Jorge de Frutos and Fran Pérez are suspended and will miss the game. Luis Felipe, Isi Palazón, Randy Nteka, Augusto Batalla, Iván Balliu, and Joshua Vertraud remain in the infirmary with injuries.