Barcelona – Rayo Vallecano : Preview & Prediction
Too far from first place and Real Madrid, Barcelona host Rayo Vallecano in a bid to maintain second place in the table. The Catalans have a chance to move three points clear of Sevilla and five ahead of Atletico Madrid, which would give them a comfortable cushion in the final sprint. After two consecutive TCC defeats, Xavi’s side got back on track with a 1-0 win at Sociedad thanks to the inevitable Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. After losing 1-0 in the first leg, but under Ronald Koeman, Barca are likely to be at a different level than they were during that period. The fans have been waiting for a home win since early March and another slip-up could make the end of the season a little more nervous than expected.
With a seven-point lead over the relegation zone, the Franjirrojos are not yet sure of their survival. However, a good result at the Camp Nou on Sunday would take Radamel Falcao’s team closer to that goal. Andoni Iraola’s side ended a 13-game winless streak in the league with nine defeats and four draws when they beat Espanyol 1-0 on Thursday. They will need to put the same ingredients back in place to avoid a negative spiral, especially as their next opponents are direct rivals for survival.
Barcelona have scored 28 more goals than their opponents in the league (61 to 33).
Barcelona have won nine of the last ten meetings but have failed to win in October.
Barcelona will be able to rely on the duo of Aubameyang and Dembélé to make the difference: 9 goals for the Gabonese and 11 assists for the French international.
Rayo Vallecano have taken just five points from a possible 15 away from home.
Rayo Vallecano are among the top ten defences in the league (38 goals conceded).
Despite the three bridges against rivals Barcelona, it’s hard to see Rayo Vallecano walking away with a win at the Camp Nou. Barca are coming off a loss to Cadiz but don’t expect to make the same mistake twice. We advise you to play Aubameyang as a goal scorer but as an alternative prediction we have: more than 2 goals at 1.50
Barcelona – Rayo Vallecano : Betting Tips
Barcelona – Win Odds: 1.35
