Real Madrid faces Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabeu as Diomande earns first start

Lineup selections and debut start

Real Madrid hosts Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio Bernabeu on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 CEST and broadcast live on DAZN. Manager Jose Mourinho selected Yan Diomande for his first start with the first team in midfield. The Madrid defensive line features Thibaut Courtois in goal behind Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Ruediger, and Alvaro Carreras. Federico Valverde, Bernardo Silva, and Jude Bellingham join Diomande in midfield, while Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe lead the attack. Rayo Vallecano fielded goalkeeper Emil Audero alongside defenders Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Pathe Ciss, and Adria Pedrosa. Midfielders Pedro Diaz, Gnangoro Bouare, and Unai Lopez support wingers Giorgi Tsitaishvili and Alvaro Garcia behind lone striker Sergio Camello.

Real Madrid form and league standings

Real Madrid enters the matchday in fourth position with nine points from their first four league fixtures. The club seeks to recover domestically after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Real Betis at the Estadio de La Cartuja on 4 September. That defeat halted a three-match winning run in LaLiga that began with a 2-1 away victory against Espanyol on 22 August. Mourinho's squad then registered consecutive home victories, defeating Real Sociedad 4-1 on 26 August and Malaga 4-0 on 30 August. Madrid rebounded four days after the Betis match by defeating Inter Milan 2-1 at the Bernabeu in their Champions League opener on 8 September.

Rayo Vallecano early season trajectory

Rayo Vallecano enters the Bernabeu sitting in 14th place in the standings with four points collected from four games. The team secured its first victory of the league season on 5 September with a 3-2 result against Racing Santander. That fixture was held at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in Leganes, marking the club's second temporary relocation this season due to ongoing structural issues with its home ground. Rayo began the domestic campaign on 15 August with a 2-1 loss against Sevilla, followed by a 1-1 draw against Deportivo Alaves on 20 August. The team subsequently conceded five goals in a 5-2 defeat against Barcelona on 31 August, having ended the prior season with a 2-1 win at Alaves on 23 May 2026.

Head-to-head record and competitive history

Real Madrid holds an unbeaten record across the last five competitive fixtures between the two Madrid clubs. The sides last met on 1 February 2026, when Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu. The reverse fixture on 9 November 2025 concluded in a goalless 0-0 draw at Rayo. During the 2024-2025 campaign, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 home victory on 9 March 2025 after the teams played out a 3-3 draw on 14 December 2024. The series also included a 1-1 draw on 18 February 2024.