A high-flying Atletico Madrid squares off against a stumbling Rayo Vallecano in a crucial La Liga clash for both sides.
Simeone's men are third in the table with the Spanish heavyweights currently 10 points behind their arch-rivals Real Madrid and 11 behind league leaders Girona. A third win on the trot could help Los Rojiblancos continue mounting pressure on the two sides above them and challenge for the title.
Rayo Vallecano, on the other hand, have just four points from their available 15 in their previous five games. They were involved in a toothless stalemate against Real Sociedad last week and will look to change their fortunes against the home side.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano kick-off time
| Date: | January 31, 2024 |
| Kick-off time: | 8:00 pm GMT |
| Venue: | Civitas Metropolitano |
Atletico Madrid will welcome Rayo Vallecano to the illustrious Civitas Metropolitano with kick-off scheduled at 8:00 pm GMT in the UK.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano online - TV channels & live streams
The La Liga clash between Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano will be available to watch on Viaplay Sports 1 and LaLigaTV in the UK with live updates on GOAL's Live Match Centre.
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.
Team news & squads
Atletico Madrid team news
Atletico Madrid are yet to call upon Spanish centre-back Cesar Azpilicueta with the defender healing from a knee injury while Thomas Lemar is yet to recover from his ACL concern alongside Jose Maria Gimenez who hobbled off the pitch last week due to a muscle injury.
Dutch forward Memphis Depay could be given a start in the eleven with Alvaro Morata healing from a minor knock and Simeone prioritising the latter's presence in the Madrid derby this week.
Atletico Madrid predicted XI: Oblak; Savic, Witsel, Hermoso; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Niguez, Riquelme; Griezmann, Depay
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Oblak, Grbic |
| Defenders: | Gimenez, Hermoso, Soyuncu, Savic, Witsel, Galan, Molina |
| Midfielders: | De Paul, Llorente, Barrios, Koke, Saul, Lino |
| Forwards: | Griezmann, Morata, Depay, Riquelme, Correa |
Rayo Vallecano team news
The visitors will be without the services of Unai Lopez who has been handed a one-match suspension on the back of his fifth yellow card while Alvaro Garcia returns to the side after serving his suspension.
Rayo will also miss Diego Mendez due to injury alongside the pairing of Bebe and Pathe Ciss who are on international duty with Cape Verde and Senegal, respectively.
Rayo Vallecano predicted XI: Dimitrievski; Balliu, Lejeune, Hernandez, Espino; Valentin, Perez; Palazon, Trejo, Garcia; Camello
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Dimitrievski, Cardenas |
| Defenders: | Lejeune, Mumin, Hernandez, Pascual, Espino, Chavarria, Balliu, Ratiu |
| Midfielders: | Valentin, Perez, Nteka, Pozo, De Frutos |
| Forwards: | De Tomas, Camello, Falcao, Palazon |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Aug 2023 | Rayo Vallecano 0-7 Atletico Madrid | La Liga |
| 10 Apr 2023 | Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Atletico Madrid | La Liga |
| 19 Oct 2022 | Atletico Madrid 1-1 Rayo Vallecano | La Liga |
| 20 Mar 2022 | Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Atletico Madrid | La Liga |
| 2 Jan 2022 | Atletico Madrid 2-0 Rayo Vallecano | La Liga |