The second-leg playoff match of the 2025/26 Conference League qualification between Rayo Vallecano (Spain) and Neman (Belarus) will take place on August 28 at the Campo de Vallecas Stadium in Madrid. The score of the first match was 1-0 in favor of Rayo Vallecano. Rayo Vallecano vs. Neman: prediction, statistics.
Rayo Vallecano
In the first match, the Spanish side managed to defeat their opponent away from home, scoring the only goal late in the game (1-0). As a result, Rayo Vallecano extended their unbeaten streak across all competitions to seven matches (5 wins, 2 draws). Moreover, they have kept a clean sheet in four of these encounters. To advance to the main stage of the Conference League, the team only needs to avoid defeat after 90 minutes. Notably, this is only the second time in Rayo Vallecano's history that they are participating in European competitions.
- The team has not won 7 of their last 8 home matches in La Liga (5 draws, 2 losses).
- No more than three goals have been scored in 8 of the last 11 home league matches.
- The Spaniards have not scored more than once in 7 of their last 9 home matches in La Liga.
Predicted lineup for Rayo Vallecano (4-5-1)
Augusto Batalla – Florian Lejeune, Alfonso Espino, Joshua Vertaud, Ivan Balliu – Gerard Gumbau, Oscar Trejo, Randy Nteka, Unai López, Fran Pérez – Sergio Camello.
Neman
After losing the first match, Igor Kovalevich's team suffered their second defeat in seven Conference League matches this season (4 wins, 1 draw). In both losses, the team failed to score. To advance to the main stage of the tournament, the Belarusians need to win by at least two goals after 90 minutes. If they win by one goal, extra time will be played. It is worth noting that Grodno has never participated in the main draw of any European competition before.
- The club has not lost in regular time in 5 of their last 7 away matches in the Conference League (3 wins, 2 draws).
- The team conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 90 minutes in 5 of their last 7 away matches in this European competition.
- The Belarusians have not scored in the first half in their last 6 away matches in the Conference League.
Predicted lineup for Neman (4-5-1)
Maxim Belov – Konstantin Kuchinsky, Yegor Parkhomenko, Ivan Sadovnichiy, Yuri Pantya – Oleg Yevdokimov, Andrey Yakimov, Mikhail Kozlov, Sergey Pushnyakov, Anton Suchkov – Pavel Savitsky.
Midfielder Mikhail Kozlov will not play due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Referee
Jérémy Pignard (France)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 30;
Average yellow cards per match – 5;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 33%.
Match Prediction: Rayo Vallecano vs. Neman
In the first match, the Spanish team had to put in a lot of effort to overcome Neman's resistance. In the return leg, I do not expect Rayo Vallecano to show a significantly more confident performance. At home, the team rarely wins: they have failed to win 7 of their last 8 home matches in La Liga (5 draws, 2 losses). They have not won by a large margin at home since the 2022/23 season.
The Belarusians perform well away in European competitions: only two losses in their last seven away matches in the Conference League (3 wins, 2 draws). In both losses, Neman did not lose by more than two goals. Additionally, during this period, Grodno conceded a total of only seven goals.
It is also worth considering the high likelihood that Rayo Vallecano, as in the first match, may play with a lineup far from optimal. Therefore, I expect the Belarusians to put up strong resistance against the hosts and avoid a heavy defeat. My prediction: Neman with a handicap (+2.5)
