Rayo Vallecano vs Celta Vigo: Rafa’s winless run to continue

Monday night’s La Liga action sees Rafa Benitez lead Celta Vigo in search of a much-needed victory.

The visitors have gone 11 matches without a league win, leaving them in the drop zone.

They head to a mid-table Rayo Vallecano side who have struggled themselves of late.

Neither side have looked too solid at the back this term, which is the focus in the betting here.

Team news
Rayo Vallecano are missing Alfonso Espino through suspension for this clash, with Andrei Ratiu set to replace him at left-back.

Celta Vigo are close to full strength, but Joseph Aidoo is ruled out for the campaign after an ACL injury.

Both Teams to Score @ 8/11 

Having shipped a combined 37 goals after 15 rounds of action, these two sides are among the worst defences in La Liga.

Rayo Vallecano have managed just one home clean sheet so far this term, while Celta Vigo have conceded in all but one of their 15 games this term.

They can both be encouraged with their attacking results, with Celta in particular scoring in five of their seven trips despite facing six visits to the top 10 already. Rayo have averaged 1.29 goals per home game so far, so finding the net at their own ground hasn’t been a problem.

In fact, the hosts have seen both teams score in each of their last five at home. With Celta seeing both teams scoring in four of their last five games in all competitions, a repeat looks like the go-to bet here at 8/11.

In terms of a correct score prediction, look to a 1-1 draw in this clash at 11/2. Celta have improved of late to draw three of their last four, while Rayo have seen seven draws this term, with four of their last five at home finishing level.

Jorgen Strand Larsen to score @ 21/10

Celta’s good scoring form has been helped by the presence of Larsen, who has formed a good strike partnership with Iago Aspas in Celta’s 4-4-2 system.

The Norwegian striker is the only Celta player to score more than twice in La Liga so far this term, while he heads into this clash in a good run of form. Having featured for his national side during last month’s break, Larsen has now scored in four of his last five starts for club and country.

Larsen has scored three of his five league goals this term on the road, so heading to Rayo shouldn’t be a problem for him this week.

Despite his fine form, the striker heads into this clash priced at 21/10 to score anytime, while he’s 6/1 in the first goalscorer market. Celta have opened the scoring in four of their seven trips this term, so he’s a real contender to strike first.

Football betting tips, from Betfred Insights.