Samsunspor vs Rayo Vallecano prediction 12.03.2026 | Conference League

Samsunspor are not at the level they were last season when they ended third in the Turkish Super Lig. The team from Samsun is eighth in the domestic competition in the current campaign, and it is unrealistic for them to compete in any European cups next season. Samsunspor won only three of the last eight matches. In the previous game, they lost 3-2 on the road against Fenerbahce. The visitors were close to victory, but the hosts scored two goals late in the second half and left Samsunspor empty-handed.

Although Samsunspor lost against Fenerbahce, the head coach Torsten Fink was very satisfied. After the game, he commented, "Honestly, we were good as a team. I am proud of the performance, I am proud of my team. Our team's plan worked very well from the first minute. Maybe our possession rate could have been better."

Samsunspor have some problems with missing players. They will be without Jaures Assoumou, Bedirhan Cetin, Afonso Sousa, and Ali Badra Diabbate.

Last season was probably the best for Rayo Vallecano in the 21st century. They finished eighth in La Liga and qualified for the European cups after more than 25 years. In the current campaign, Inigo Perez's team has not quite reached that same level, but they still look solid enough to finish comfortably in mid-table. Rayo Vallecano struggled for consistency lately, as they won only in two of the last nine matches. In the previous game, Perez's team played 1-1 on the road against Sevilla. The teams were fairly even, so splitting points was probably the fairest outcome.

Rayo Vallecano's problem lately has been games on the road. They have not won any of their last five away matches. While Inigo Perez's side is probably the stronger team on paper than Samsunspor, they cannot afford a poor performance in Turkey on Thursday evening.

Rayo Vallecano's head coach, Inigo Perez, was satisfied after a draw against Sevilla. He said, "The draw is fair. We lacked aggression in the first half. Then we gradually got into the game and found the net in a setting we like. In the end, it was clear that both teams wanted to take a point."

Pathe Ciss and Diego Mendez are injured and will not travel to Samsun. We should expect the head coach, Inigo Perez, to field a pretty similar starting lineup that avoided defeat in La Liga for the weekend.