Vallecano vs Barcelona: Can Barcelona Secure Its Third Place In this Match?

This coming weekend, the 2023-24 La Liga season continues with one of the most important matches, as Xavi’s Barca team will face Rayo Vallecano in Estadio de Vallecas. Barca are at the minute placed on the third spot of the La Liga table and haven’t yet been at their best level in the league this campaign. In fact, they managed to beat Deportivo Alaves by 2 goals to 1 and seek to build upon this performance in the forthcoming weekend game.

Rayo Vallecano stands at a position of 10th in the league’s table, with mixed results. In addition, they only narrowly lost 2-1 to Girona last week. The team has only one option at hand; they have to show lots of fight in order to regain form for their next game.

Barca started the season with almost perfect results apart from recent hiccups with two losses in their last four games. Despite the initially high morale in Catalonia Real Madrid has defeated Barcelona twice in the domestic league and Shakhtar Donetsk knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League leaving little hope for Barcelona.

Head-to-Head Statistics:

Barcelona holds a good recent form in this matchup with Rayo Vallecano having won only three out of seventeen meetings between the two teams. It is interesting that Rayo Vallecano have never lost in the last four times playing a league match with Barcelona though they had previously suffered thirteen consecutive defeats in La Liga against Barcelona.

The interest is that of the Barcelona has already lost their last two La Liga games at the home ground of Rayo Vallecano. The third consecutive away defeat will occur for the first time ever. Moreover, Barcelona was also unstoppable in their last 17 consecutive away matches of Madrid-based teams during La Liga season. However, they have lost the form and now only managed to secure just two wins in the past 13 matches of Madrid clubs in the league.

Team News

However, Oscar Trejo, the 35-year-old attacking midfielder for Rayo Vallecano has been ruled out due to his knee injury pre international break. It is expected that he will not be fully fit until after Christmas.

Notable Alvaro Garcia, who scored Rayo’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona last season, is suspended and unable to participate in this match. He picks the fifth yellow card for him, after collecting five yellow cards in La Liga this season. Apart from this, however, Rayo’s manager Francisco Rodriguez has no other injury worries.

Isi Palazon who is currently the second highest league goalscorer for Rayo with two goals after Garcia’s four will be one of the most important players when it comes to Rayo’s attack.

Gavi had an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a game he played for Spain in the international break. He will miss the rest of the season with this injury.

Their goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is another concern as regards fitness. Back pain forced him to drop out of Germany’s friendly meetings with Turkey and Austria. In case he does not heal on time, Inakin Pena can replace him.

However, on the positive side, Pedri will be available for selection to Barcelona’s head coach Xavi. Additionally, expected comeback of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong for next game. He did not play after Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 3-2 in September. Sergi Roberto had a muscle strain on his leg and would, however, be out of the lineup.