Girona vs Rayo Vallecano: La Liga Prediction (16.08.2025)

On August 16, 2025, at 00:00 WIB, at the Montilivi Stadium, the 2025/26 Spanish Championship will kick off. In the first game of the season, Girona will face Rayo Vallecano. Bookmakers expect a competitive clash, giving only a slight edge to the home side. Let’s look at the teams’ current form at the start of the season and share our prediction for the match.

Girona

After finishing in the top three in the 2023/24 season, last year was a complete failure for the club. Girona barely avoided relegation to the second division, finishing just one point above 18th place. This season, Míchel’s men aim to secure a spot in the upper half of the table. However, there have been no significant changes to the squad compared to last season. On one hand, this means better chemistry, but as we saw last year, the team lacked stamina over the long campaign. In the opening rounds, they may still be fresh. Notably, in attack Girona still relies on the veteran Stuani, while key players Gutiérrez, Van de Beek, and Abel Ruiz remain sidelined with injuries.

Rayo Vallecano

Íñigo Pérez’s men finished eighth last season and even reached the final qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. During the season, they challenged even the top teams. However, like Girona, they struggled with squad depth towards the end of winter. Still, for the Bees, it wasn’t as critical. They endured a crisis between February and April but ended the season strongly, going five matches unbeaten, which boosted their confidence. In preseason, the Bees have shown solid attacking play, which they will hope to carry into official games.

Head-to-Head Statistics

The last five meetings slightly favor Girona, with three wins to one and one draw. However, last season Girona failed to beat Rayo Vallecano.

Prediction

For Girona vs Rayo Vallecano, the prediction leans towards a high-scoring game. The teams haven’t fully switched from a friendly-game mindset and may play with more freedom. Based on last season and current preseason results, the visitors are not inferior to their opponents. Recommended bet: Rayo Vallecano not to lose at odds of 1.63.