Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Prediction: La Liga match on 26.04.2023

Barcelona will look to take another step closer to the La Liga title on Wednesday when they travel to the Estadio de Vallecas to face ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano at 20:00 GMT.

     

Three points will be important for Barcelona to bolster their chances of wrapping the title up. They have a commanding nine-point lead ahead of Real Madrid in second place with eight matches remaining in the season.

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Vallecano will look for consistency in the run-in as they try to climb the table into European competition-qualifying places. They will need to beat the Champions in waiting on Wednesday to walk away with the three points.

Key Highlights

Rayo Vallecano’s Inconsistency Costing Them a European Finish

Andoni Iraola and his men have won just once in their last five matches. They have had two draws and two defeats in this run. This run has seen Vallecano fall down the table in recent matches.

Iraola’s men are currently ninth on the table with 40 points. They are fourteen points behind fourth-placed Real Sociedad. This effectively rules them out of the race for Champions League places. 

However, they are well-placed to fight for the Europa Conference League qualification; they are seven points behind sixth-placed Villarreal. 

Andoni Iraola will need to get his side playing at a high level to get something from the clash against the league leaders on Wednesday.

Barcelona’s March to the Title

The league leaders have wobbled in recent matches; they have had two consecutive draws, both 0-0 stalemates, at home to Girona and away to Getafe. This will be a worry for Xavi Hernandez as he looks to get his side in good form to wrap up the title.

Xavi will look to get his side to winning form in the clash against Vallecano on Thursday. Barcelona will seek to be dominant, impose their style on Vallecano, and get a morale-boosting win that will drive them for the rest of the season.

Barcelona’s overall form has been good. They have won three matches in their last five outings in La Liga. Although they have dropped four points in this run, they have maintained a none-point lead at the top of the table, which could expand to 12 if they beat Atletico Madrid on Sunday afternoon.

Injury Report

Rayo Vallecano

Rayo Vallecano have no injury worries ahead of the clash against Barcelona. Andoni Iraola will have access to his entire first-team squad.

This will be a boost for the manager in the run-in, especially in the clash against Barcelona, as they look to select the strongest team to face the league leaders. 

Barcelona

 Xavi Hernandez will be without right winger Ousmane Dembele; the France international is sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old has been on the sidelines since January 29, 2023. Dembele has missed 16 matches for Barcelona.

Barcelona will also miss the services of right-back Sergi Roberto. The 31-year-old Spaniard is nursing a hamstring injury. He has been in recovery since his injury on April 17, 2023. Roberto is expected to return to full fitness by May 17, 2023.

     

Possible Lineups

Rayo Vallecano

S. Dimitrievski; F. Garcia, A. Mumin, F. Lejeune, I. Balliu; O. Valentin, S. Comesana; A. Martin, O. Trejo, I. Palazon; R. de Tomas

Barcelona

M. ter Stegen; J. Kounde, R. Araujo, M. Alonso, A. Balde; F. de Jong, S. Busquets, Gavi; Raphinha, R. Lewandowski, F. Torres

Prediction

Rayo Vallecano will look to be compact and pragmatic in their approach. They will defend in numbers and press aggressively to win the ball. 

Barcelona will boss possession and the lion’s share of the chances created in the market. 

Barcelona will win the match and take a step closer to the title.

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