Rayo Vallecano will look to extend their unbeaten run in La Liga when they take on leaders Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last six league outings but have not won an away game in the top flight since October.
Barcelona, meanwhile, boast a four-point lead at the summit and will be determined to pile the pressure on second-placed Real Madrid. With Los Blancos not in action until Sunday evening against Atletico, Hansi Flick’s men have a golden opportunity to temporarily extend that cushion to seven points with a win here.
Read our Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano prediction, preview and betting tips with odds from bet365. You can also check out our Today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Contents
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano key stats
- Barcelona have a perfect home record in La Liga this season.
- Rayo Vallecano suffered nine defeats in their last 11 trips to this stadium.
- Five or more cards were awarded in seven of the last eight H2Hs.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano preview: Business as usual for the hosts?
| Barcelona | vs | Rayo Vallecano |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Position | 13th |
| 70 | Points | 32 |
| 77 | Goals For | 28 |
| 28 | Goals Against | 34 |
| 11 | Clean Sheets | 8 |
| 1st | Home Rank | 13th |
| 2nd | Away Rank | 14th |
*These figures were accurate at the time of publishing.
Barcelona cruised to a comfortable 7-2 victory over Newcastle United in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie earlier this week, extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to seven matches.
Flick's side have secured 14 wins in as many home games in the Spanish top flight and are now just five victories away from becoming the first La Liga team to finish with a perfect home record since the league was permanently expanded to 20 teams in 1997.
Barcelona have scored at least 17 more goals than any other team in La Liga this season.
First-choice goalkeeper Joan Garcia and defender Eric Garcia were both substituted off against Newcastle in midweek due to injury, but after being assessed, both players are expected to be available for selection on Sunday.
However, the trio of Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, and Alejandro Balde are to miss the match for Barcelona due to hamstring injuries, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament problem.
Coach Flick is expected to name a starting XI similar to the one used against Newcastle, with the trio of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal in the final third.
No team has been awarded more red cards than Rayo Vallecano in La Liga this season.
On the other hand, Rayo Vallecano advanced to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League just a few days ago, progressing with a 3-2 aggregate score despite a narrow 1-0 home defeat against Turkish side Samsunspor on Thursday.
Prior to that European setback, Inigo Pérez's men were on a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions, a streak that has seen them climb away from the relegation scrap and establish themselves as one of the most resilient mid-table sides in Spain.
The visitors ended Thursday's Europa League clash with no fresh issues and have a clean bill of health ahead of this trip.
Nonetheless, defender Nobel Mendy is out of the match through suspension. The Senegalese was sent off in Rayo’s 1-1 home draw against Levante last time out.
It is expected that coach Perez will overload the backline and midfield for this game in order to make things difficult for Barcelona, a move that could help maintain the team's current unbeaten run in the league.
With Jorge de Frutos, Fran Perez, and Isi Palazon all available for selection, Rayo can fancy their chances of avoiding defeat, as they did in the reverse fixture last August.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano form guide & betting tips
| Barcelona | vs | Rayo Vallecano |
|---|---|---|
| L-W-W-W-W | Form | D-D-W-D-D |
| 12 | Points | 7 |
| 1st | Form Table | 9th |
| 14 | Goals For | 7 |
| 5 | Goals Against | 4 |
Whispers Predicts: Barcelona 4-1 Rayo Vallecano
At 1.26, Barcelona are considered favourites by the bookies, and considering their perfect home record, anything other than a comfortable victory for the Blaugrana would be a surprise.
Interestingly, Flick's men have scored at least five goals in back-to-back home games, so over 3.5 Barcelona goals can be backed at 2.95.
It is also worth mentioning that Barcelona conceded five goals in their last three matches alone, while Rayo Vallecano were on the scoresheet in their last eight league games.
On that note, we fancy Barcelona & BTTS - Yes at 2.35.
> BTTS - Yes at 1.77 | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 3.5 goals at 1.92 | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result - Barcelona at 1.26 | Likelihood: Probable
> Barcelona & BTTS - Yes at 2.35 | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score: 4-1 at 14.00 | Likelihood: Outsider