Barcelona will play their final home match of the La Liga season this weekend when they entertain Rayo Vallecano. The Spanish side will have pressure on their shoulders, as they must claim victory to remain in control of second place in the standings.
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Barcelona’s grip on the La Liga title has come to an end already this term, as they have failed to keep tabs on Real Madrid at the summit. The Catalonian giants come into this penultimate round of matches sitting second in the standings, but they could yet face a fight to finish as the runners-up.
Barcelona have lost two of their last five matches in the competition, which came after losing just three in their opening 30 matches. That drop off in form has enabled Real to cruise to the top-flight title, and it means that Barcelona are now 17 points behind their fierce rivals. However, it has been another strong strongest season for Barcelona in La Liga, as they boast one of the best defensive records in the competition.
Rayo Vallecano are within touching distance of achieving their target for the season, as they will need just one more point to secure their top-flight status from their final two rounds of matches. Vallecano also bring some strong recent form into this showdown after avoiding defeat in each of their last two.
That illustrates an excellent response from the team after losing in successive weeks at the start of May. Vallecano showed excellent character in their previous outing, as they battled to a victory at home against Granada, despite being down to ten men for 85 minutes. The crucial second effort in that success was netted in the final ten minutes by Jorge de Frutos.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano Head to Head
Vallecano have enjoyed their recent showdowns against Barcelona after avoiding defeat in the last five, claiming three victories across the period. The previous meeting this term ended in a 1-1 draw. Vallecano’s last win in Barcelona was achieved in late April 2022 when landing a memorable 1-0 victory.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano Prediction
Vallecano’s recent dominance over Barcelona is a very interesting trend that should be considered this weekend. They have avoided defeat on their last two trips to Catalonia, and we could see them extending that advantage by landing a draw to secure their top-flight status on Sunday.
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