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Paco Jemez wasn't mucking around. This week, ahead of his team's clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Sunday, the Rayo Vallecano manager was asked whether he thought Madrid had descended into a crisis.

"Have you seen us?" he quipped, per AS. "I'd swap Madrid's crisis for ours."

Of course, a crisis in Vallecas is far different from a crisis in Chamartin. In the latter, a crisis can be prompted by a single defeat, though admittedly this one has involved much more than that. This one has involved a Clasico thrashing, a collapse to Sevilla, a first-half no-show against Villarreal, a Copa del Rey debacle, grievances over style, palpable institutional tension, neverending criticism of manager Rafa Benitez and chants at the Bernabeu for president Florentino Perez to resign.

And those are just the headlines.

Would Jemez really prefer all of that? Well, if it came with Madrid's league position, he definitely would.

Indeed, while Real Madrid's crisis sees them five points off the top of the table, Rayo Vallecano's version of it has them in the relegation zone, which is bad as it is. What makes it worse is that they're in it because they're behind Granada and Malaga—yeah, this Granada and this Malaga.

Just last weekend, Rayo lost at home to the second of those sides, becoming the first team in almost four months to allow Malaga to score an away goal—soon after, they allowed them to score a second—and extended their own winless run in the league to four in the process. From the last 30 points available, they've taken seven.

Evidently, all isn't well—both on and off the pitch.

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On it, Rayo aren't scoring and they aren't playing with the verve of a Jemez side either, their dependency on Javi Guerra troubling. Off it, Jemez has feuded with his own club and has boiled over on the sidelines, while fans are deeply unimpressed with the Rayo name being taken to the U.S. to setup a NASL franchise in Oklahoma City.

When asked of the environment surrounding the club, Jemez's assessment was simple: "It's a circus," he said. As he said it, you'd imagine Benitez might have been sitting somewhere and thinking: "I hear you, brother."

Unlike for his Sunday counterpart, however, at least things in the short term might be ready to become a little easier for Benitez. Now through a brutal stretch, Madrid with the visit of Rayo are entering an extremely gentle run in which they'll also meet Real Sociedad, Deportivo La Coruna, Sporting Gijon, Real Betis, Espanyol, Granada, Athletic Bilbao (at home) and Malaga between now and late February.

Aside from a trip to Valencia, that will look rather tasty for Benitez and Co.

Starting it with a bang against a wounded Rayo looks likely. Just don't tell Jemez.

"I bet my balls that my players will play well at the Bernabeu on Sunday," he told Al Primer Toque, per AS. "On the day they were handing out brains, I ended up with a small one, but when they handed out balls, I got the biggest."

Match Details

Date: Sunday, December 20

Time: 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. EST/4 p.m. local

Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), beIN Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)

Form Lines

Last 6 Results in All Competitions (most recent first) Real Madrid Rayo Vallecano L: 0-1 vs. Villarreal L: 1-3 vs. Getafe W: 8-0 vs. Malmo L: 1-2 vs. Malaga W: 4-1 vs. Getafe L: 1-2 vs. Villarreal W: 3-1 vs. Cadiz W: 2-0 vs. Getafe W: 2-0 vs. Eibar L: 0-3 vs. Athletic Club W: 4-3 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk D: 1-1 vs. Getafe B/R UK

Team News

For Real Madrid, only Raphael Varane and Daniel Carvajal are unavailable from Benitez's strongest XI, both men still sidelined with injury. As a result, Pepe and Danilo will continue at the back against Rayo on Sunday.

In midfield, Toni Kroos, who's been carrying an illness this week, could miss out again after occupying the bench against Villarreal, potentially allowing Casemiro to retain his place. Elsewhere, Real Madrid will likely be unchanged.

For Rayo Vallecano, a reshuffle will likely be required in defence. On loan from Real Madrid, Diego Llorente is ineligible to play against his parent club, while Ze Castro has only just returned to training after missing his side's last two outings with a leg injury.

Positively, however, Raul Baena is available again in midfield having served his one-game suspension and will slot in alongside Roberto Trashorras, while Jemez is expected to use a four-man attack consisting of Guerra, Bebe, Lass Bangoura and Jozabed.

Predicted Lineups

B/R UK

In the Spotlight

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The captain's armband was supposed to suit him, but so far it hasn't. So far this season, Sergio Ramos hasn't been, well, very Sergio Ramos.

In a curiously passive manner this term, Ramos has lacked the presence he typically carries in defence, where his combative and all-action style has made him the heartbeat of this Real Madrid team.

Admittedly, the Spaniard's season has been interrupted by injury, but that doesn't fully explain what we've seen from him to date. Against Atletico Madrid, a pair of errors saw him concede a penalty; against Celta Vigo, he was bailed out by Keylor Navas; against Barcelona, he was all over the place; against Villarreal, ditto.

Though it's been the team's issues in attack that have taken most of the focus, Madrid's inconsistency in defence has been just as problematic.

Ramos regaining form will be central to addressing that.

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Real Madrid: 1-15

Draw: 14-1

Rayo Vallecano: 21-1

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