Pre-match stats: Rayo Vallecano v Real Madrid

All the match stats as Los Blancos head to Vallecano this weekend.

Real Madrid Rayo Vallecano — Toni Kroos was on the scoresheet when the sides last met in November (Credit: Eurosport)

League leaders Real Madrid head across the Spanish capital to face ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano this weekend.

Los Blancos have lost only one of their last 21 league games against the home side – winning 19 of those matches and drawing on one occasion.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Real have suffered defeat just one of their 15 matches against newly-promoted sides.

They also have a strong record in Madrid derbies, winning 12 of their last 13 and they have managed to keep a clean sheet in nine of those encounters.

The visitors have an outstanding scoring record against the side from Vallecas, having scored an incredible 78 goals in league matches against them – 10 of which came in a 12-goal thriller in December 2015.

Frenchmen Karim Benzema has scored nine goals in 10 games against Rayo, and his first La Liga hat-trick came against Real’s City rivals.

Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano’s first league meeting was in October 1993 and ended in a 2-0 win for Los Blancos away from home.

The two sides last met back in November, with Real Madrid claiming a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, courtesy of goals from Toni Kross and Benzema.

James Murray Sports journalism masters graduate from the Real Madrid Graduate School. I have covered various different sports over a number of years - particularly football - and my personal work is displayed on this site.