Rayo Vallecano welcome Samsunspor to the Estadio de Vallecas on Thursday night for the decisive second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 tie, with the Spanish side holding a commanding advantage after the first meeting.
Inigo Perez’s side travelled back to Madrid with one foot firmly in the quarter-finals after securing a 3–1 victory in Turkey last week, while the visitors are aiming to become only the second team to overturn a 3–1 first-leg deficit in the Conference League after Olympiacos achieved the feat against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2023–24 season.
Match preview
Rayo will enter Thursday’s match with a 3–1 advantage over Samsunspor from the first leg of their last-16 clash in the UEFA Europa Conference League, placing the capital outfit in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals.
Perez’s side advanced directly to the round of 16 without requiring a play-off after finishing fifth in the league phase with four wins, one draw and one defeat.
The Red Sashes also boasted one of the most potent attacks during that stage with 13 goals, surpassed only by AEK Athens (14), and further enhanced their tally with an impressive display in last week’s first-leg victory.
Rayo opened the scoring inside 15 minutes through Alemao after capitalising on an effort from Isi Palazon, before Marius Mouandilmadji equalised seven minutes later for Samsunspor, but Alvaro Garcia Rivera restored the lead before halftime following a swift counterattack, and Alemao sealed the 3–1 win in the 78th minute with a fine solo effort.
Palazon became the first player in Rayo Vallecano’s history to provide two assists in a single match in any major European competition, and also the first Spanish player to achieve that feat in the Conference League.
The capital club have won all three of their home matches in the Conference League this season, although they are winless in their last two home games in La Liga, both ending 1–1, against Sevilla and a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser to salvage a point against Levante on Sunday.
© Imago / STEINSIEK.CH
Samsunspor travel to Madrid facing a significant challenge after a disappointing home defeat handed Rayo a firm advantage and placed the Spanish side on the brink of the quarter-finals.
The Turkish outfit must overturn a two-goal deficit away from home against an opponent that has combined attacking efficiency with tactical discipline, while also maintaining an unbeaten home record in the competition this season.
Conceding three times in the first leg has left Samsunspor with little margin for error, meaning they are likely to adopt an aggressive approach in Spain while also attempting to improve defensively after their struggles in Turkey.
Despite the difficulty of the task, Thorsten Fink’s side can draw confidence from their attacking output in the competition, led by Mouandilmadji, who has registered eight goals and two assists in nine Conference League appearances this season.
The Red Lightning have produced a mixed away record in the competition with one win, one draw and one defeat, but will be encouraged by their 2–1 victory over Kayserispor last weekend, which ended consecutive defeats against Fenerbahce and Rayo and could provide a timely boost in confidence.
Rayo Vallecano Conference League form:
Rayo Vallecano form (all competitions):
Samsunspor Conference League form:
Samsunspor form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Rayo will be without Diego Mendez due to injury, but otherwise the hosts have a strong squad available for the clash with Samsunspor.
Augusto Batalla, Palazon, Oscar Trejo and Oscar Valentin are all one booking away from suspension, meaning another caution would rule them out of the first leg of the quarter-finals should Rayo progress.
Perez rotated heavily against Levante with eight changes, leaving only Batalla, Florian Lejeune and Alemao from the first leg in the starting lineup, but several regulars are expected to return as the hosts aim to complete the job.
Samsunspor suffered a blow last weekend when captain Olivier Ntcham was forced off after four minutes and replaced by Antoine Makoumbou, while Bedirhan Cetin remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury, Afonso Sousa is still recovering from an ankle problem, and Jaures Assoumou is also unavailable due to injury.
Yunus Emre Cift, Carl Holse, Rick van Drongelen and Celil Yuksel are all on two yellow cards and risk suspension for the quarter-finals if Samsunspor manage to produce an upset.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Battle; Ratiu, Lejeune, Filipe, Chavarria; Lopes, Ciss; Akhomach, Garcia, Palazon; German
Samsunspor possible starting lineup:
Whisk; Cift, Sakta, Drongelen, Thomasson; Makoumbou, Yuksel, Kilinc; Holse, Mendes, Mouandilmadji
Comments are closed.