22:55. That's it from us here at VAVEL tonight, it hasn't been a classic by any means but food for thought for the two managers after a bitty game. We'll have plenty more live football from across Europe over the coming weeks, so check back here for all your footballing needs. I've been Sam France, you've been a beautiful audience. Thank you, and goodnight.
22:51. Diego Simeone will be far from satisfied with his team's performance in attack but Rayo should be pleased with their performance, and may even be slightly aggrieved not to come away with three points having dominated the second half.
90+3' Trashorras' costless kick comes to nothing, and the referee blows the final whistle. Full time.
90+2' Juanfran is eventually booked after a succession of fouls tonight, the most recent on Manucho, who did well to hold up the ball on the left flank.
90' Three minutes of time added on here. Atletico threatening late on, but Manucho's flicked header remains the best chance of the game.
89' Juanfran looks to nip in behind but Ba gets across him to clear for a corner. The ball is allowed to bounce in the area and a shot comes in from Koke, but it doesn't really threaten and is hooked away.
87' Atletico look happy to settle for a point after a disjointed performance, but Rayo are starting to make mistakes as well, passing the ball straight out of play on more than one occasion. Some early-season fatigue creeping in perhaps, with the players not fully match-fit yet.
84' Atletico sub: Griezmann, who was the biggest threat in the first half but faded in the second, is replaced by Cristian Rodriguez.
84' Aquino and Manucho are posing a real threat together here, and Atletico haven't had an attack of any note in the last 20 minutes.
83' Suarez is booked for a shove on Aquino, whose pace is causing real problems for the defence, but the costless kick comes to nothing again.
79' Manucho gets in front of Miranda as a low cross comes in from Aquino, but in doing so he gets ahead of the ball and misses the ball completely.
77' Baena has the physio on having been struck by a particularly powerful half-volley from Koke, resulting in a drop-ball. The other players take the opportunity for a quick water break.
75' Atletico sub: Mandzukic is coming off after being fairly anonymous on his league debut other than a half-chance in the first half following a Griezmann cross. He is replaced by former Atletico B player Hector Hernandez.
73' Manucho goes up for a header with Miranda and the defender has an arm round the forward's neck. The substitute is ruffling some feathers at the back, and he seems to be a match for the defence with his physicality.
71' Aquino delivers a good ball from the right wing and Manucho's diving header is flicked towards the far post, but Moya gets down well to save at the bottom corner. Best effort of the game from the substitute, but that isn't saying a great deal.
70' Bueno's looping header is easily saved by Moya, the first real save he has had to make. Rayo look more likely to score with 20 minutes to go, but Atletico will always pose a threat on the break.
68' Aquino does well to get in between Godin and Ansaldi, and wins a corner with his cross. It comes to nothing, but a shot from Kakuta from the edge of the area deflected and could have gone anywhere, eventually bouncing wide.
65' Rayo have two men on the floor as they try to break away, with two fouls in quick succession. Rayo have a costless kick halfway into the attacking half of the pitch but it is floated forward to nobody in particular and is easily cleared by Miranda, who gave away the costless kick.
62' Atletico sub: Niguez comes on for Jimenez, who has shown some signs of promise on his debut without ever truly threatening. Ba is shown the second yellow of the evening for a foul on Mandzukic.
61' Juanfran kicks out at Kakuta after the ball has gone out, but the referee doesn't see anything - naughty.
59' Bueno knocks a ball back for Manucho, but it is hooked away from his chest by Miranda before he gets the chance to make an early impact.
55' Rayo sub: Manucho replaces Jonathan Pereira, offering a different threat up front - Rayo haven't offered much going forward since the break. The forward makes his debut for Rayo, having previously made one appearance for Manchester United.
54' Former Villarreal man Aquino tries to power in a cross from the right but the delivery is poor, hitting the first man.
52' Ba clips the ankles of Griezmann at the edge of the area, but the short pass into the centre from the resulting costless kick is skied over the bar by Koke first time.
50' Raul Jimenez scraps with Ba in the right corner, but is pulled back for a push on the defender after appearing to break costless.
49' Godin seems to be in some discomfort, clutching his right ankle after a heavy challenge from Kakuta, who has had a good debut so far.
48' Atletico seem to have come out with the intention of keeping the ball a bit more, and are still clearly targeting the wings - Griezmann should expect to be heavily involved.
46' We're back, Bueno taking an early shot from the edge of the area but he drags it wide, left of the post.
21:55. Full-time at the Etihad, Manchester City running out 3-1 winners against Liverpool thanks to goals from Jovetic and Aguero. Zabaleta with an own goal for the visitors.
Half time: No stoppage time despite a flurry of costless kicks at the end of the half. Goalless here at the break, stay tuned for the second half.
44' A couple of agricultural tackles from the away side have the home fans up in arms. The atmosphere is starting to hot up here, which may well make for a more intense second half - here's hoping.
42' Rayo have had 61% of the possession, but that's hardly surprising and Atletico have had the better chances so far.
39' An Atletico corner from the left is punched away by the goalkeeper. Another ball is delivered in from the same flank towards the edge of the six yard box but Jimenez can't beat the keeper to it, and Rayo break away. Miranda mops up at the back, as he has done for most of this game so far.
37' Rayo have arguably been the better team with the ball, and have kept it for a good 2 minutes here - without doing anything with it.
34' Both sides have been sloppy in possession, without being particularly incisive going forward - the best chance of a goal may well be a defensive error.
32' Rayo threaten through the middle for the first time, but Bueno and Kakuta are both crowded out at the edge of the area. Atletico are soaking up any pressure Rayo put on them at the minute.
30' A cross comes in from the left but it is an easy save for Moya - Rayo need to do better when they get chances to come forward, as they aren't having many.
27' Jimenez intercepts a poor ball between the defenders and feeds Mandzukic in down the right, but his first-time shot lacks any real power and is easily saved low down by Alvarez.
25' Griezmann threatens for the first real time, breaking away down the left and putting a dangerous low ball in towards the far post, but Mandzukic can't get the right connection sliding in and the ball dribbles wide.
23' Atletico's new signings don't seem to have fully bedded into their new surroundings yet, lacking some cohesion in the first 20 minutes or so. They've been a bit hasty to pump the ball forward towards Mandzukic, and it isn't working.
21' The game is opening up a bit, Miranda looking the ball out for a goal-kick as Rayo try to make headway down the left.
18' Koke is flagged offside after being found down the flank by Ansaldi.
16' Despite the sub-15,000 capacity of the ground, the fans are in good voice here for an eagerly-anticipated local derby to get the new season underway.
14' Atletico almost have a chance to open the scoring but Alvarez races out to pump the ball away from Griezmann. Gabi attempts a shot from the centre circle with the keeper away from home, but a defender is back to cover.
13' Rayo are growing into this game a little more, keeping the ball well when they have it but not being especially penetrative in possession.
11' Rayo have a chance to get the ball in the box from a corner, but the ball doesn't reach the penalty area and it goes out for a goal kick. Wasteful.
10' A hopeful punt forwards from Godin eludes everyone and bounces straight through to the keeper, but it has been all Atletico so far. No major openings as of yet, though.
7' Jimenez looks to break away down the right, but he is half a yard beyond the last defender and the referee brings it back for offside.
6' Atletico midfielder Gabi is sporting a light red bandana tonight, covering most of his head. Fetching. Juanfran's cross from deep on the right wing is easily gathered by Alvarez.
4' There's a bit of a scramble in the Rayo penalty area as a corner is whipped in low from the right, but it is eventually hooked away from danger for a throw-in.
2' An early half-chance for the visitors, but Suarez is unable to pick his way through a crowd of defenders. Bueno is perhaps lucky to remain on the pitch already after an extremely high foot on an Atletico player.
1' We're off!
20:58. The teams are on their way out, just a couple of minutes to go until kickoff. We'll have every kick (give or take), right here on VAVEL. Stay tuned.
20:55. For anyone who has chosen this over a night of Premier League action (good on you), Manchester City lead Liverpool 1-0 at the break - Stevan Jovetic with the only goal at the Etihad.
20:47. In the other game in La Liga tonight just across the Spanish capital, Cristiano Ronaldo has just doubled Real Madrid's lead at home to Cordoba in the final seconds. 2-0 at the Bernabeu.
20:44. This is the scene at the stadium tonight as the teams get ready, a quarter of an hour to go. Image via @atleticofans
20:38. No starting place for Oblak then, but as expected Siqueira, Griezmann and Mandzukic make their league debuts. Plenty of new faces on show for Rayo as well, so this one could come down to whose new signings can settle into their new side the quickest. My money's on the visitors (cue shock 3-0 victory for Rayo).
20:33. Atlético Madrid XI: Moyà; Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Siqueira; Mario Suárez, Gabi; Koke, Raúl Jiménez, Griezmann, Mandžukić. Subs: Oblak, Ansaldi, Giménez, Tiago, Rodríguez, Saúl, Héctor.
20:31. The teams are out! Rayo Vallecano XI: Cristian Álvarez; Quini, Abdoulaye, Zé Castro, Tito; Trashorras, Bueno, Baena; Aquino, Pereira, Kakuta. Subs: Cobeño, Nacho, Manucho, Morcillo, Pozuelo, Licá, Embarba.
20:24. Meanwhile, Atlético's title rivals are currently leading 1-0 at home to Córdoba thanks to a Karim Benzema goal. Twenty minutes or so to go in that one.
20:19. No team news as of yet, but with just 40 minutes to go we'll have both of the teams as soon as they're out - including some big-name debutants for the visitors.
19:55. Meanwhile, Rayo coach Jémez has spoken about the departure of Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng, who has left the club after just three pre-season games: “It was exclusively my decision. He wasn’t the kind of player I needed. He’s an exceptional guy, professional and a great player. We made a mistake, we thought he was a player with certain characteristics and he’s an important footballer. He didn’t come here to play three games, he came to offer something an play. That’s what I explained to him and nothing more. He’s performed very well, but I don’t think he was the kind of player we needed.” No hard feelings, then.
19:50. Simeone must know as well as anyone that his side is capable of holding off the Real-Barcelona duopoly on the Spanish title once again, but he has sought to lower the pressure on his players by pointing out the close nature of last year's title chase. "Barcelona, even in a bad season for them, almost won the league," he pointed out. "And Madrid as well. If they had beaten Valencia [in their 35th game of the season] they would have been top. It is very difficult to compete across so many fixtures. But we are competitive over 90 minutes."
19:40. Referee Gomez presided over games including both of these teams last season, most notably Atlético's remarkable 7-0 win against Getafe last November. His busiest day's work came in Celta Vigo's 1-1 draw with Getafe three months later, which saw 11 yellow cards and a sending-off.
19:30. Today's referee Carlos Clos Gomez officiated 24 games in all competitions last season, with a fairly hefty 119 yellow and 9 red cards.
19:20. One man with a point to prove tonight is Atlético forward Leo Baptistão, rarely given a chance by Simeone and shipped out on loan to Rayo, where he started his career. He left the Vicente Calderón in 2013 but has made only five appearances for Atlético in that time.
19:15. Rayo boss Paco Jémez believes that his opponents today are just as strong as the side which lifted the trophy last time out: "They are a great team, as they showed again on Friday,'' Jemez said in a pre-match press conference. "It is true that they have changed a few players, but those that have come in are very good. They always play the same way - I have not noticed any difference."
19:10. These two sides had very contrasting ends to last season form-wise, with Rayo losing their last three in the league and Atlético remaining unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 - today's hosts conceded at least twice in all three of their final games, so Atlético's new-look strike force will be looking to hit the ground running this evening.
19:05. We'll have the starting line-ups as soon as they're out, but for now let's take a look at some head-to-head statistics. Atleti have won six of the last seven meetings between these two sides in all competitions, the last of which was a scintillating 2-4 victory for the away side back in January. Check out the highlights from that game below.
19:00. With just a couple of hours to go until kickoff, why not take a look at our Atlético Madrid season preview while you wait?
18:50. Rayo could give debuts to any number of new faces following a busy summer - though they have only spend around £400,000 - including Alejandro Pozuelo, Gaël Kakuta, Javier Aquino and the returning Leo Baptistão.
18:40. Atlético are therefore likely to hand league debuts to big-money signings Mandžukić and Antoine Griezmann, with Jan Oblak the favourite to start in between the sticks following the departure of Thibaut Courtois.
18:30. With the season still not fully underway, both sides can boast close to a clean bill of health, though Rayo defender Antonio Amaya is likely to be out for the newxt six weeks with a torn adductor muscle, an injury he sustained in training.
18:20. Simeone also doesn't seem to fazed by the prospect of being away from the touchline for such a long time, putting his faith in assistant manager Germán Burgos to take his place: "We’ll try to find the best way to communicate. Germán has the capacity and confidence; it gives me peace of mind that we understand football in the same way. He will sit on the bench and I will see it from another place."
18:15. Always a charmer, Diego Simeone has accepted his lengthy touchline ban with grace, and at very least seems repentant for his actions, saying, "What happened the other day is a closed issue. Reiterating and talking about the same thing is not good. The people who have to make a decision will do what they believe to be fair. When one makes a mistake it’s fair to pay for it.”
18:10. It may not be the most glamorous stadium in the league, but this is the venue for tonight's game: the 14,708-capacity Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas. Situated in south-east Madrid, it is only a six-kilometre walk from Atlético's own Vicente Calderón Stadium.
18:00. Jémez has become used to having to work with a much-changed squad at the start of each season since taking over in 2012. This year has been no different, but he claims that to him, his team does not feel all that different. “If you only change three players, much of your job is done for you, but as things are for us, that isn’t the case and what we’re trying to do is put in more hours of training and to recover from that handicap," he said in a recent press conference. "My team remains the same. That’s the sensation I have. Whilst it’s true we’ve changed a lot of players, those who have joined are very good. We’ll always play the same way and to me it feels like the same team, I haven’t really noted any difference.”
17:55. Rayo manager Paco Jémez admits that his side have been handed a tough start to the season, but is optimistic that they can continue to improve: “We’ll have to see that we can still keep getting better. We’re trying to reach the game in good shape, our work-rate has been very high and with time, we’ll carry on doing better. We’re here to compete well and the team knows how they have to play and move, but we’ll mature with time.”
17:45. Atlético come into today's game fresh off the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, with Diego Costa's replacement Mario Mandžukić scoring the winner in the second leg. While Atleti will not be getting too carried away with the victory, manager Diego Simeone did just that and landed himself an eight match ban after being sent off - four games for tapping the back of the linesman’s head, two games for protesting, one game for applauding his sending-off, and one game for remaining in the stands instead of leaving the stadium after leaving the dugout.
17:40. Today's lesser Madrid derby sees Diego Simeone's new-look Atlético Madrid side start their defence of the La Liga crown they won last season, while Rayo will be looking to build on last year's 12th-placed finish.
17:30. Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the final game in the first round of the La Liga season, Rayo Vallecano - Atlético Madrid. Kickoff is set for 21:00GMT, but in the meantime we'll have all the pre-match buildup and team news before the game here on VAVEL. Don't go anywhere.