Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Copa del Rey match.
Real Sociedad's ongoing quest to find the right attacking combinations has hindered their ability to maintain a confident lead. Against Rayo Vallecano, the Basque side are expected to play conservatively in the opponent's half, as advancing further in the Copa del Rey is crucial given the risk of missing out on European competitions through their La Liga performance.
Real Sociedad
On Monday, Real Sociedad narrowly defeated Villarreal in San Sebastián (1:0), generating only 0.66 xG and managing three shots on target over 90 minutes. This marked the fourth consecutive match for the team with a total under 2.5. While playing away at Ponferradina (2:0), they only picked up the pace after the break, struggling to create even against a Tercera Division opponent (1.18 xG).
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano have enjoyed favourable draws in the Cup so far, easily overcoming Unionistas (3:2) and Racing de Ferrol (3:1) from lower divisions. In La Liga, Vallecano rank among the weaker attacking teams (23.33 xG). On the road in the Spanish championship, they have only scored eight goals in 10 games.
Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano Prediction
In the opening round of La Liga, an injury-hit Real Sociedad lost to Rayo Vallecano (1:2). This upcoming encounter is expected to be a more restrained affair, with the Basque side likely to stifle the attacking potential of a mid-table Primera team that thrive on counter-attacks.
