Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano closes a busy week for Jose Mourinho’s side, and it comes with three players still in the treatment room, five back from the midweek absentee list and a Bernabeu crowd that has spent the past fortnight making its feelings known. Here is when the Madrid derby kicks off, where to watch it and who is available.
Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano kick-off time
The match is scheduled for Saturday 12 September at 21:00 CEST at the Santiago Bernabeu — that is 20:00 BST for anyone watching in the UK, and 15:00 ET on the east coast of the United States.
It is La Liga matchday five and it fills the late Saturday slot, which means confirmed line-ups should land at around 20:00 CEST.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano on TV
In Spain the game is carried on DAZN LaLiga and Movistar LaLiga, with Orange also listed by Mundo Deportivo. In the United States it is on ESPN Deportes, with streaming via ESPN+, per Managing Madrid. International rights vary by territory, so check your local La Liga rights holder rather than assuming the usual weekend arrangement.
Team news: five back, three still out
Mourinho named his squad on Friday afternoon and it is the healthiest list he has had in a fortnight. Raul Asencio is the headline, back in a matchday squad for the first time this season after completing two full sessions at Valdebebas. Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Guler also return, all three having sat out the Champions League win over Inter Milan through suspension, and Andriy Lunin is back after illness.
Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Eder Militao remain unavailable. Rodrygo’s knee problem is the long-term one, Mendy’s thigh injury is not far behind it, and Militao is still building back from hamstring surgery. All three worked away from the group at Valdebebas on Friday. We ran through the full list in our confirmed Real Madrid squad for Rayo Vallecano, and the shape Mourinho is likely to pick in our predicted line-up.
Rayo arrive in worse shape. Benat San Jose described his squad as being “en cuadro” — down to the bare bones. Jorge de Frutos and Fran Perez are suspended after red cards last time out, while Isi Palazon, Randy Nteka, Luiz Felipe and goalkeeper Augusto Batalla are all injured. Ivan Balliu and Marash Kumbulla are doubts.
Marca’s probable line-ups have Thibaut Courtois behind a back four of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella, with Camavinga and Bernardo Silva in midfield and Kylian Mbappe leading the line.
The referee
Victor Garcia Verdura takes charge, with Juan Luis Pulido Santana on VAR. It is only the Barcelona-based official’s third top-flight appointment of the season, and he arrives a week after another round of refereeing argument involving Los Blancos — which is to say he will be watched closely.
What is at stake
Madrid are third on nine points and cannot afford another slip. Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Inter restored some confidence, but it was a scrappy night at the same venue and the performance flattered the scoreline. Before that came the defeat at Real Betis, the first of Mourinho’s league campaign.
The subplot, inevitably, is Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian was booed by sections of his own supporters against Inter and has not found his level in any of Madrid’s opening five games. Mourinho spent much of Friday’s press conference defending him, insisting he is working harder than ever. A goal on Saturday night would make the argument rather more efficiently.
Rayo, 14th in the table, arrive off the back of a 3-2 win over Racing and have a habit of making this fixture awkward. Kick-off is 21:00 CEST at the Bernabeu.
