Barcelona will look to secure the second spot in La Liga with a win over Rayo Vallecano in the penultimate game of the season.
15th-placed Rayo Vallecano will look to secure their ninth win of the season when they hit the road to square up against Barcelona. But, it won’t be easy given the kind of form the Blaugrana are in.
Barcelona might not have had the best of seasons, and the Xavi Hernandez saga has reached another bizarre turn. But the hosts are still the second most dominating team in the division with 79 points in their 36 outings, and they have the opportunity to secure a second-place finish with a win in this fixture as they are already four points clear of third-placed Girona.
Xavi’s team are heading into this one on the back of an easy 2-0 win over Almeria. They have won their last two league outings and will look to end the season on a high with two more wins. The visitors are currently 15th on the points table with 38 points in their 36 outings. They are six points clear of 18th-placed Cadiz, and avoiding defeat against the Spanish giants will be enough to ensure they stay in the top flight.
Rayo Vallecano are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Granada despite being reduced to ten men quite early in the first half. It was a crucial win for their survival and they did put up a great fight. They will look to put up a similar performance against Barcelona away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams are tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
The Catalan giants will be without the services of Gavi, Alejandro Balde, and Frenkie de Jong. Meanwhile, there are doubts about the availability of Ronald Araujo, who is struggling with a knee injury.
Xavi Hernandez is expected to make a few changes to the eleven that started in their last outing. Barcelona are expected to stick to the 4-3-3 formation against Rayo Vallecano, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal.
Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo should continue as the full-backs. Pau Cubarsi could pair up with Iñigo Martinez in the heart of the defence. The back four will look for another clean sheet, and they will receive support from Andreas Christensen who should be the defensive midfielder.
Fermin Lopez and Ilkay Gundogan are expected to be the central midfielders. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. In attack, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will feature on the flanks, while Robert Lewandowski will be leading the line for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Cancelo; Fermin, Christensen, Gundogan; Yamal, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Rayo Vallecano
Trejo, who was sent off in their last outing, is suspended for this fixture, while Diego Mendez is out for the remainder of the season with a ligament injury. Apart from the duo, Rayo Vallecano do not really have much to worry about. They should line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Stole Dimitrievski in goal.
Alfonso Espino and Ivan Balliu will most likely be the full-backs, while Florian Lejeune and Abdul Mumin should be the centre-back pairing for this one against the Catalan giants. Oscar Valentin and Unai Lopez should form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and also provide a base to hit the home team on the counter.
Alvaro Garcia could feature as the attacking midfielder behind Sergio Camello, who will be leading the line for the visitors. Jorge de Frutos should come into the starting eleven and feature on the flanks alongside Isi Palazon. The duo will provide width to their attacks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Balliu, Mumin, Lejeune, Espino; U Lopez, Valentin; Palazon, A Garcia, De Frutos; Camello
Key Stats
- Rayo Vallecano have been unbeaten in their last five league games against Barcelona.
- Neither team managed to come out on top in the reverse fixture as it ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Barcelona have the third-best attack in the division having scored 74 goals this term.
- Vallecano have accumulated 18 points on the road this term and will look to add to it.
- Barcelona are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins in the league and will look to make it three in a row.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
The Brazilian forward has to be a consistent performer for Barcelona in the second half of the season. Despite not starting the season as a regular, he has managed to make a significant contribution. Raphinha has contributed towards 15 goals (6 goals, 9 assists) in the league despite being on the pitch for just over 1,300 minutes.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
The Spanish giants have been on a roll of late, and they will look to make it three wins in a row when they square up against Rayo Vallecano. But, the visitors will not be handing it out to them, they will look to make things difficult, and they are heading into this on the back of a morale-boosting win. Despite that, the Spanish giants might still come out top given their recent form. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.
