| Odds via 22bet | |
| Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona | August 27, 20:30 GMT+1 |
| Rayo Vallecano odds | 5 |
| Barcelona odds | 1.66 |
| Draw | 3.94 |
| Over\Under | Total 2,5: 1.85/1.94 |
Rayo Vallecano is one of the most intriguing teams in La Liga.
Last season, they finished in 17th place, just five points ahead of Cadiz, who ended in the relegation zone. Despite being the second-worst team in the league in terms of goals scored, they ranked 12th in goals conceded. Rayo Vallecano changed their coach during the season, with Iñigo Pérez taking over from Francisco. However, Pérez failed to improve their fortunes.
Nevertheless, the indicators of expected goals and expected points show that Rayo Vallecano should have finished in seventh place last season. This is because the team scored 17 goals less than expected – a significant underperformance, especially in the top 5 leagues.
This indicates that Rayo Vallecano has a strong foundation and a good chance to improve their results this season.
However, their pre-season form was not particularly encouraging. Iñigo Pérez’s team played six matches, in which they suffered four defeats, drew once, and won only once. This was hardly the ideal preparation before the league campaign began.
However, Rayo Vallecano started the new season on a positive note as they managed to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in the first round.
This was followed by a 0-0 draw against Getafe. Both matches were away games, where Rayo defended resolutely, allowing very few chances on their goal. Defenders Abdul Mumin, Florian Lejeune, and Alfonso Espino were crucial in organizing quick counterattacks.
While Rayo didn’t create many chances in the match against Getafe, they showcased the ability to create chances through swift transitions.
Their upcoming match against Barcelona will be Vallecano’s first home game of the season, and Pérez’s team will undoubtedly aim to maintain their defensive solidity.
| Recent Form | DWWLL |
| Key Players to Watch | Abdul Mumin, Florian Lejeune, Alfonso Espino |
| Team Strengths | Strong defensive line |
| Team Weaknesses | Weak realisation of moments |
| Key Injuries and suspensions | – |
Barcelona suffered a devastating 0-3 loss to Monaco in their last pre-season match but started the new season strongly, winning their first two matches of the new season against Valencia (2-1) and Athletic Bilbao (2-1).
It’s important to note that Hans-Dieter Flick had the opportunity to use all his main players from the first round of La Liga, which explains the excellent results at the start of the season.
However, Flick announced plans to rotate the squad for the third-round match and will likely rest some key players. It’s difficult to say exactly who will start in Barcelona’s lineup, but certain changes could affect the overall quality of Barcelona’s game.
In the first two matches against Valencia and Bilbao, Barcelona started attacks in a 4-2-4 formation and ended them in various formations: 3-2-5, 2-2-6, 3-1-6, and 2-1-7. This was because Balde, Kunde, and Pedri actively changed positions depending on their teammates’ positioning.
But the most interesting thing was not even their strategy but the fact that Hansi Flick allowed more freedom for movements in the central area of the field for Lewandowski, Rafinha, and Ferran (and Fermín López in the second half).
This trio interacted very creatively within the opponent’s midfield, creating numerous high-quality moments. Despite some struggles with finishing, the overall attacking setup looks very promising.
Barcelona used a 4-2-3-1 formation in pressing, which changed depending on the opponents’ positioning. While effective, Barca’s players still need to work on coordinating their pressing.
| Recent Form | DWLLL |
| Key Players to Watch | Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski |
| Team Strengths | Great play in attack |
| Team Weaknesses | Many main players just got back after vacation and don`t have enough game practice |
| Key injuries and suspensions | Gavi, Andreas Christensen, Dani Olmo,Ansu Fati, Ronald Araújo, Frenkie De Jong |
Since the fall of 2021, Barcelona has been unable to defeat Rayo Vallecano in five consecutive matches, suffering three losses in the process. In their meeting at the Estadio de Vallecas during the first half of the previous season, the Catalans were held to a draw by the Madrid-based team.
At the end of the previous season, Barcelona finally broke their winless streak in their personal duels, defeating Rayo 3-0.
Lamine Yamal scored a crucial first goal against Athletic Club. True to his style, he cut in from the right flank and curled the ball into the far corner, showcasing his individual brilliance.
Such displays of individual skill are particularly valuable for Barcelona at this stage, as the new coach is still in the process of instilling his tactical principles in the team’s game.
In the 4-2-3-1 formation, Rayo Vallecano is capable of effectively implementing a high-pressing strategy and occasionally sitting back in a compact defensive block.
It will be interesting to see how Barcelona will create combinations in the center and whether they can maintain the same level of dominance as they have in their previous two matches.
Barcelona displayed a high level of tactical attacking flexibility and unpredictability in their matches against Valencia and Athletic Club. This adaptability is likely to help the team secure a win in their upcoming match against Rayo.
While Rayo demonstrated strong defensive performances in the first two rounds, they may struggle against the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Robert Lewandowski.
Barcelona has scored more than one goal in 11 out of their last 12 matches, including both official and friendly games. The team’s attacking line is one of the strongest in European football, and Hansi Flick is a fan of proactive attacking football. Therefore, we expect Barcelona to score more than one goal in the match against Rayo Vallecano.
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