Rayo Vallecano striker Alberto Bueno believes his side’s meeting on Saturday with Almeria is a cup-final.
The two sides occupy 18th and 19th positions in the La Liga table and are only in the relegation zone on goal difference.
“The match with Almeria is a final,” Bueno told Rayo’s official website.
“It is against a rival and if we win we will inflict a lot of psychological pain on them, we will overtake them and we would improve our goal difference on them.
“It would be very important."
The forward then commented on his side’s win last weekend against Real Sociedad.
“That win gave us huge satisfaction because Anoeta is a very difficult place to go to.
“We have a great dynamic at the moment, the dressing room is very united and you need to be inside it to understand how happy we all are.”