Preview: Elche vs Rayo Vallecano - prediction, team news, lineups

[(Elche CF) Strength]:
1. Elche CF suffered a 5-game losing streak on the road in the league lately. However, they remained unbeaten at home in this season's league.
2. Elche CF performed stably at home in the league, keeping 4 clean sheets in their 8 home games of the league this season.
3. Elche CF scored in the 2nd half in their last 3 home games of the league, demonstrating a consistent ability to ramp up their offensive intensity in the second half at home.
4. Elche CF are 6th at home in the league before this round. There are only two other teams in the league that have conceded fewer goals on home soil than Elche CF.
5. Elche CF scored at halftime in both consecutive league games, getting into shape quickly on offense.
6. Elche CF were undefeated with 7 wins and 3 draws in the last 10 league games against Rayo Vallecano at home.
7. Elche CF scored in each of their last 10 league encounters against Rayo Vallecano at home.

[(Rayo Vallecano) Strength]:
1. Rayo Vallecano are on a 3-game unbeaten run in both the league and the Conference League lately, showing a rebound in form.

[(Rayo Vallecano) Weakness]:
1. Rayo Vallecano played a Conference League match in midweek, indicating their inferior fitness to that of Elche CF.
2. Rayo Vallecano beat Real Sociedad and Levante UD in a row away from home in the league before. But they were winless in the last 3 league games on away soil, revealing a decline in their away record.
3. Rayo Vallecano failed to score in over half of their away league games this season, highlighting a significant lack of consistency in their attack on the road.
4. Rayo Vallecano trailed at halftime in two of their last three away league matches, highlighting a recurring trend of slow defensive starts when playing on the road.
5. In the last four La Liga meetings between these two sides, the home team emerged victorious on every occasion (two wins each). Historical data suggests that home advantage is a decisive factor in this specific matchup.
6. In the last 4 away encounters against Elche CF in La Liga, Rayo Vallecano conceded at least 2 goals per game and scored only one goal.

[Tips]:
Despite being newly promoted, Elche CF have shown a stark contrast between their home and away form.

Notably, they remain undefeated at home in the league so far this season.

Rayo Vallecano enter this fixture following a mid-week UEFA Conference League match, which is expected to take a toll on their physical conditioning.

Furthermore, Rayo Vallecano's away form has been on the decline, characterized by a particularly weak attack on their travels.

Given the overwhelming historical trend of home dominance in this fixture and the hosts' superior freshness, the recommendation is a home win for Elche.

[Recommended]:
Elche CF (-0/0.5)