Rayo Vallecano Returns to Vallecas Against Athletic Club

Rayo Vallecano returned to its home stadium on October 10, 2026, hosting Athletic Club in Matchday 8 of LaLiga at 2 p.m. local time in Madrid. The fixture marked the end of a 146-day absence from Vallecas for Rayo, which had played its first three home league matches at Butarque in Leganés following safety-related problems at its stadium.

According to reports from Sport and Mundo Deportivo, Rayo collected seven points from those three matches, recording two wins against Espanyol and Racing Santander and a draw against Alavés. Both clubs entered the match level on eight points, making the encounter important to their early-season positions.

Rayo last played a competitive match at Vallecas on May 17, 2026, defeating Villarreal 2-0 to secure mathematical confirmation of its top-flight survival. The stadium subsequently underwent a prolonged process involving safety concerns and legal proceedings before being cleared to host competitive football again.

The ground's reopening also brought renewed attention to tensions between Rayo supporters and club president Martín Presa. Sport reported that supporters had expressed their dissatisfaction with the club's management, including incidents involving damage to the stadium's presidential box during the Vallecas Trophy event the previous week.

Rayo coach Beñat San José was able to select Iván Balliu and Adrià Pedrosa after both recovered from physical problems. Emil Audero started in goal, while Pedro Díaz joined Pathé Ciss and Unai López in midfield. The attacking lineup featured Jorge de Frutos, Álvaro García and Sergio Camello.

Augusto Batalla was Rayo's only injury-related absentee, according to ElDesmarque. Luiz Felipe was named among the substitutes, while Andrei Ratiu was absent from the starting lineup for a reason the club had yet to specify in the report.

Athletic coach Edin Terzic faced a more difficult selection situation after Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet sustained injuries in the days before the match. Aymeric Laporte also missed the trip to Madrid because of an illness, while Unai Egiluz remained unavailable.

ElDesmarque reported that Yeray Álvarez replaced Laporte, Peio Canales came in for Sancet, and Álex Berenguer took Nico Williams' place. Jesús Areso returned at right back, while Beñat Gerenabarrena featured in midfield. Unai Simón started in goal, with Iñaki Williams leading the attack.

The absences left Athletic without several important attacking options as the team sought to recover points after consecutive draws at San Mamés before the international break. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Bilbao side faced an extended run of away fixtures, beginning with Vallecas and continuing with league matches against Valencia and Levante before an away tie in the Copa del Rey's opening round.

Rayo entered the match with Sergio Camello in strong scoring form. Marca reported that the forward had scored seven goals at the start of the season, making him one of the team's most productive players. Athletic striker Gorka Guruzeta, meanwhile, had yet to score during the campaign and had found the net once in eight previous appearances against Rayo, according to the same report.

Despite the homecoming, uncertainty remained over the atmosphere inside Vallecas because of the dispute between supporters and the club's leadership. Athletic, meanwhile, arrived seeking to improve its league position despite the absence of several regular contributors.