Samsunspor – Rayo Vallecano

The guests from Madrid won't lose in Turkey, at least.

Turkish Samsunspor is not a frequent guest of European tournaments. In the current edition of the Conference League this side qualified as the third club from the local Super League. Finishing in Turkey behind Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray could be considered a kind of victory. However Samsunspor failed to make it to the Europa League. In the playoff qualifying round, the Turkish side were beaten by Panathinaikos with an aggregate score of 1-2. At the group stage of the Conference League, Samsunspor was also highly unstable. After the third matchday, the team led the standings with the maximum number of points, but in the next three matches it did not win once: two losses and one draw. Such results allowed Samsunspor to finish twelfth in the standings and to secure a place in the preliminary round of the playoffs, where the duel with Shkendija demonstrated the Turkish side's dominance: 1-0 and 4-0. Rayo Vallecano appears in continental competitions no more often than its upcoming opponent. Lacking the necessary experience, the Madrid club failed to coordinate its performances in the Conference League and La Liga at a high level. If finishing fifth in the overall stage of the European tournament can be considered a successful outcome, then the fight for survival in the Spanish championship does not bring the club's fans any pleasant feelings. The bookmakers designated the guests as favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.22 on their victory. Compared with last season, Samsunspor's level has dropped significantly. After 25 rounds of the current edition of the Turkish championship the club sits only seventh, with almost half as many points as the leading Galatasaray. On Sunday Samsunspor lost to Fenerbahçe, having been 2-1 up at the 90th minute. Such a terrible collapse will not improve the players' mood ahead of the clash with the Spaniards. Rayo Vallecano is a higher-class team. For a period the Madrid club hovered near the relegation zone in La Liga, but in the last month it has been playing at a fairly high level, extending its unbeaten run to five matches. Rayo Vallecano is motivated for the Conference League, so one should expect a favorable result for the guests in the first leg.