Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona: Preview

Barcelona will aim to secure their third consecutive victory in the early stages of the 2024-25 La Liga season as they head to Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday evening. Under the guidance of Hansi Flick, Barcelona has begun the season strongly, achieving wins against Valencia and Athletic Bilbao in their initial fixtures.

Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano has also made a commendable start, earning four points from their first two matches. They commenced their campaign with a notable 2-1 away win against Real Sociedad and followed this with a goalless draw against Getafe.

This strong performance has set a positive tone for Rayo Vallecano, who now face back-to-back home games against teams from Catalonia, starting with Barcelona, followed by Espanyol. Their subsequent match after the upcoming international break is scheduled against Osasuna on September 14.

Photo byJulien RocheblaveonUnsplash

Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona: Head-to-Head

Historically, Rayo Vallecano has had some success against Barcelona, winning three out of their last six La Liga encounters and only losing once. However, their most recent match ended in a 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in May. Barcelona, on the other hand, has had a strong start to the current season, securing a 2-1 victory over Valencia on August 17 and repeating the same scoreline against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Barcelona has recently struggled against Rayo Vallecano, failing to win in five consecutive La Liga matches from October 2021 to November 2023. The last encounter in Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw. Given the formidable competition from Real Madrid, Barcelona is aware that they must minimize errors and will enter the match as clear favorites. Off the pitch, Barcelona is dealing with some administrative challenges, particularly in offloading players to accommodate Dani Olmo and any potential new arrivals. However, the team’s on-field performances have been promising, with Lewandowski standing out.

Team News

Rayo Vallecano will be missing Andrei Ratiu due to a muscle injury, but otherwise, the team is in good shape. To freshen up the squad, changes are expected, with Isi Palazon potentially stepping into the number 10 role and Oscar Trejo possibly moving to the bench. Sergio Camello is likely to replace Randy Nteka as the center-forward.

Barcelona, however, will be without five players due to injury: Andreas Christensen, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi. Head coach Hansi Flick has expressed uncertainty about whether new signing Dani Olmo will be registered in time for the match. Even if Olmo is available, he might not start due to his limited match fitness. A probable change in the starting lineup could see Fermin Lopez, who recently returned from international duties, taking Ferran Torres’ place.

Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona: Potential Starting Lineup

Rayo Vallecano: Cardenas; Balliu, Lejeune, Mumin, Espino; Valentin, Ciss; De Frutos, Palazon, Embarba; Camello

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; Bernal, Pedri; Yamal, F Lopez, Raphinha; Lewandowski

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Article originally written by Jaineel Kariya