Both teams are in good form going into the clash, which Martinez admits Rayo are favourites.
Rayo Vallecano:
"They are a very intense and vertical team. They have the most ball recoveries in the League and they have speed. Their players have been playing together for a long time, on a pitch with conditions that make the games have different characteristics, because everything is closer and there is one less second to do things. We have players who don't know that pitch and fans. We know that we are going to visit a rival that does many things well and we also know that we have to adapt. Rayo is very pressing, we have to find passing lines and where they are uncovered."
Game by game: "We don't look at the standings. When you think about the consequences and forget about the day-to-day, problems start. The most important thing is the present. There will be times when the points won't come, but we must persevere on the path we have chosen. We all have to believe, not just players, coaches or fans."
Better in defence:
"We've had a good performance on a defensive level, and that's one of the things I liked about the team. We've managed to keep our first clean sheet. The overall goal average in such a close league can be important. We have to take care of it. This won't happen overnight, it needs time. But we're on the right track."
The Unión Deportiva philosophy: "I heard a phrase from Nadal that has stayed with me all my life: I hate losing more than I like winning. This is a reality. All defeats hurt. The winning mentality is wanting to always win. But not to hurt with victory or defeat. It is a mistake to think that in defeat everything is bad and in victory everything is good. Sport is like that."
The mental aspect:
"You have to persist and be focused. This is not comfortable because the rival also gets things right. Many times in football we analyse things thinking that we are playing alone. That is a lie: There is an opponent and there are moments. All this has to do with a positive mental state. You have to help the players in this sense. And they have done so, starting with winning at Mestalla by coming back from a scoreline. It is also true that leaving the comfort zone is not pleasant and the demands are hard. That is why we are elite, in the Primera Division. There are only 20 teams in the category."
Sandro Ramírez:
"For us he is a very important player because of his experience and characteristics. He has something that can help us, which is depth. I have talked a lot about him and I don't like it. Because Pejiño, Iván Gil, Manu Fuster, Marvin, Januzaj, Moleiro, Fabio, Benito, Viti... we are going to need all these people. They are all important, necessary and they will all have their moments."