Match Pack: Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano (LaLiga MD2)

The Lions are looking to make it six points from six by following up last week's opening 3-2 victory over Sevilla FC with a second win on the bounce.

Athletic welcome Iñigo Perez's Rayo Vallecano side to The Cathedral in a fixture that always has a jovial atmosphere due to the good relationship between both fanbases.
 

Match Info
Athletic Club vs Rayo Vallecano

San Mames, Bilbao

LaLiga EA Sports 25/26 (Matchday 2)

Monday August 25, 19:30 CEST

Tickets can be purchased via this link. 
 

Team News
Ernesto Valverde has named a 24-man squad for Sunday's clash in Bilbao.  

Oihan Sancet, Beñat Prados and Unai Gomez are back in the fold after recovering from their respective injuries.

Valverde's Comments
Catch up with everything the gaffer had to say at his pre-match press conference.  
 

🫡 "We want to get another three points at San Mames and back up what we did last week."

"All coaches that have spent time at Athletic have tactical things in common: playing at a high tempo, putting the opposition under pressure, etc."#AthleticRayo #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/4pK86rSNze

— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) August 24, 2025

The Opponents

 

Head coach:

A familiar name for Athletic fans, Iñigo Pérez came up through the Zurigorri youth system and made his debut in the 2009/10 season under Joaquin Caparros.

His progress in Bilbao was hampered by injuries and he left for Numancia in 2014, spending four years there before joining CA Osasuna in 2018.

Pérz hung up his boots at the end of the 2021/22 campaign and moved to Rayo the next season to  become the assisant coach of Andoni Iraola, his former Athletic Club teammate.

Problems with Pérez work permit meant he didn't join Andoni at Bournemouth and instead stayed in Madrid. When Francisco was dismissed in February 2024, Iñigo took the top job and kept Rayo in LaLiga.

Last season he led Rayo to an eighth place and Conference League qualification.

Summer signings:

There has been a bit of movement in Vallecas. Goalkeeper Augusto Batalla (from River Plate) has made his loan move permanent, Fran García joined from Valencia CF, Luiz Felipe signed on a free transfer from Marseille, while Nobel Mendy (Real Betis), Gerard Gumbau (Granada CF) and Jozhua Vertrouwd (Castellon) have joined on loan.

As for outgoings, Joni Montiel moved to Qarabag FK, Sergi Guardiola went to Cordoba CF, Raúl de Tomas to Al-Wakrah SC, Miguel Angel Morro joined Leixoes and Aridane Hernandez's contract expired.
 

Recent form:

Rayo had a decent pre-season. They drew with Genk (1-1), beat PEC Zwolle (0-5) and Sunderland (0-3) and their only loss was against West Brom (3-2)-

They started LaLiga 25/26 with a 1-3 away win over Girona FC and beat Belarrusian outfit FC Neman Grodno 0-1 in the first leg of their Conference League play-off.

Previous Meetings 

The two sides have met 44 times previously in LaLiga, with Athletic recording 25 wins, 10 draws and nine losses.

From Rayo's 22 trips to Bilbao, Athletic have won 16, tied three and lost just three.
 

Athletic have won four and lost just one of Rayo's five most recent trips to San Mames. What's more, on three of those occasions, the Zurigorri have scored three or more goals.
 

Athletic Club were 3-1 victors in the corresponding fixture last season. Pathe Ciss had the visitors 0-1 up at half-time, but two Oihan Sancet goals (one from a penalty), either side of a Nico Williams strike, saw the Lions take all three points.
 

How to Watch
Check out our global TV guide to make sure you don't miss the match. 

You can also follow the fixture, and keep up to date with everything Athletic related, through the official Athletic Club app, as well as on our website and social media accounts:

Twitter

Basque: @Athletic_eus

English: @Athletic_en

Spanish: @AthleticClub

Facebook

www.facebook.com/ATHLETICCLUB/ (Spanish + Basque)

Instagram

@athleticclub (Spanish + Basque)

Website

Basque: www.athletic-club.eus/eu/

English: www.athletic-club.eus/en/

Spanish: www.athletic-club.eus/