Las Palmas have a chance to edge closer to safety in LaLiga if they defeat Rayo Vallecano on Friday night at Estadio de Gran Canaria. Meanwhile, the visitors are aiming to secure a spot in European competition for the next season.
This season has been tough for Las Palmas as they currently sit in 18th place in the standings, trailing three points behind safety after suffering consecutive losses to Athletic Bilbao and Valencia.
Vallecano also struggled before securing a 1-0 victory against Getafe last weekend. The win revived their hopes for European football, and a victory in Gran Canaria could temporarily lift them up to seventh place.
Team news
Las Palmas will miss Jasper Cillessen (stomach), Kirian Rodriguez (illness), and Fabio Silva (groin) once again. It is uncertain whether defender Scott McKenna, who was absent in the last game against Valencia, will be back in action.
Vallecano will be missing suspended midfielder Pathe Ciss for the game due to accumulating his 10th yellow card of the season in the match against Getafe. However, right-back Andrei Ratiu will return after serving a suspension. Abdul Mumin (knee) and Joni Montiel (ankle) are also looking to make a comeback after recent injuries.
The stats
Since the beginning of the year, Las Palmas have only won two out of their 16 LaLiga matches.
Among the teams playing at home, only Real Valladolid (13 points) have fewer points than Las Palmas' 17 points this season.
Scoring regularly, Las Palmas have netted 40 goals in the league, the highest among the teams in the bottom five, four more than Vallecano.
Vallecano are aiming to qualify for European competition for the second time in their history, last achieving the feat in the 2000-01 season when they reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.
Vallecano's win over Getafe last weekend was only their second victory in the last 11 LaLiga matches.
In the last three encounters between the two teams, the away side emerged victorious, including Las Palmas' 3-1 win at Estadio de Vallecas in November.
Prediction
With both Las Palmas and Vallecano not in their best form, predicting the winner of Friday's match is challenging. However, there is expected to be plenty of goal-scoring opportunities at both ends.
Las Palmas have been productive in front of goal this season, scoring against nine LaLiga teams. They have been particularly strong at home, with only Barcelona managing to prevent them from scoring in their last 12 games at Estadio de Gran Canaria.
Their struggle lies in defense, as they have kept only one clean sheet in 17 matches across all competitions this year.
Vallecano will be hopeful of scoring in Gran Canaria, having found the back of the net in eight of their last 10 away matches in LaLiga, including in their last four visits to Las Palmas.