Comments and predictions for Girona vs Rayo Vallecano: Equally strong

Latest Girona vs Rayo Vallecano team information

Girona will be without Miguel Gutierrez through an ankle injury, and the defender is likely to join Napoli so is almost certain to miss out even if he recovers. Ricard Artero, Ivan Martin, Donny van de Beek and Abel Ruiz are also out injured. A number of new signings will make their debuts: Rincon, Witsel and Reis are likely to start in defence, while Lemar – on loan from Atletico Madrid – is expected to feature up front.

For Rayo Vallecano, Batalla will start in his first official appearance since signing a long-term contract. New signing Luiz Felipe is also ready to start, but Jozhua Vertrouwd and Gerard Gumbau are likely to be on the bench. Abdul Mumin is the only doubtful player due to a muscle problem.

Latest expected lineup Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

Girona:

Gazzaniga; Rincon, Witsel, Reis, Blind; Herrera, Solis; Tsygankov, Lemar, Asprilla; Miovski

Rayo Vallecano:

Batalla; Balliu, Felipe, Lejeune, Espino; Palazon, Ciss, Valentin, A Garcia; De Frutos, Nteka

Latest football prediction Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

There is no denying that the 2024-25 campaign was a disappointing one for Girona. After a strong 2023-24 campaign, which saw them finish third in the table, the Catalans have fallen off a cliff, struggling to balance European and domestic competition. They ultimately finished 16th, just one point above the relegation zone.

Girona have added four new signings this summer – Hugo Rincon, Axel Witsel, Vitor Reis and Thomas Lemar – with a focus on quality over quantity. Several players have also left, giving the squad a new look, and the absence of European football in 2025-26 is expected to improve La Liga.

Last season, Girona drew goalless with Rayo Vallecano in the first leg, but lost 1-2 away in January 2025.

On the other side, Rayo Vallecano had a successful 2024-25 campaign, finishing eighth and qualifying for the Conference League play-offs. They are just three points behind seventh-placed Celta Vigo, and remain in contention for a European spot this season. However, they finished 17th two seasons ago (2023-24), so the risk of relegation cannot be ruled out.

This will be the second time in Rayo's history that they have qualified for European competition, and failure to progress beyond the Conference League play-offs would be a major blow. They have also brought in four new signings this summer, most notably Augusto Batalla from River Plate after a successful loan spell. The squad is largely unchanged, with only two players leaving on free transfers, which should provide stability for the new season.

Latest Girona vs Rayo Vallecano score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Girona vs Rayo Vallecanoas follows:

• Sportsmole:Girona 2-1 Rayo Vallecano

• WhoScore:Girona 1-1 Rayo Vallecano
• Our newspaper predicts:Girona 1-1 Rayo Vallecano

When and where to watch Girona vs Rayo Vallecano live?

To watch the live match Girona vs Rayo Vallecano in La Liga taking place at 0:00 on August 16, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.