Rayo Vallecano aiming to keep relegation fate in their own hands

With the La Liga 2018-19 season entering its final stages, there is still plenty to be decided, particularly in the bottom half of the table.

As it stands, ahead of Game Week 26, there are realistically still nine teams that could be drawn into a relegation battle, with points available to sides that are in a position to take them.

The recent form of rock bottom, and seemingly doomed, Huesca – who have won two and drawn two of their last five league games – demonstrates how quickly the  league can change.

Ahead of Huesca, are the more established names of Villarreal and Celta Vigo, who are both in real danger of the drop, as well as another half a dozen sides.

Amongst those right in the middle of it are Rayo Vallecano – a club that have won an army of neutral supporters over the years with their opposition to the unfair bureaucracy of La Liga.

They have been at the forefront of a multi-club campaign to remove Monday night games, late kick off times and improve stadium safety this season.

However. on the pitch, their inconsistency in recent weeks means they remain mired in a battle to avoid the drop.

Their form at the turn of the year had looked to be stabilising, with three wins and a draw in their four games in January, they hauled themselves out of the drop zone for the first time in 2018-19.

From that optimism, their form has dropped, with Michel’s side losing four in a row in February, including derby defeats to Atletico Madrid and Getafe.

As has been the constant case with the Rayo they have rarely been well beaten, rather edged out of a result, with three winning goals scored against them inside the last ten minutes in February.

The aim for Michel and his players now is to keep their fate in their own hands, with upcoming games against Girona and Villarreal in March.

Games against Barcelona and Real Betis are viewed as something of a free hit, but Michel will be determined to be the masters of their own destiny.

In Raul de Tomas they have the top scorer inside the bottom three, but he needs support in the goal scoring department in the coming weeks – with Adri Embarba and Alvaro Garcia needing to step up.

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