When Barcelona returns to action at home against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday afternoon, they will be looking to extend their winning streak to three games in La Liga.
Prior to the international break, Xavi’s team, who currently sit third in the standings, defeated Alaves 2-1 at home, while Rayo Vallecano, in tenth place, lost their most recent game at home to Girona, the team leading the division.
Since dropping back to this level, Rayo has placed 12th and 11th in their two La Liga seasons. The capital team has also started the season well, accumulating 18 points to occupy the 10th spot in the standings.
Francisco’s team is only four points out of the top six going into the upcoming round of fixtures in Spain’s first flight. They have won four, drawn six, and lost only three of their 13 league games this season.
Prior to the international break, Rayo had a nine-game unbeaten streak going into their match against Girona, but they lost 2-1 to the team presently leading the division.
At Estadio de Vallecas, Girona scored twice without response to take the lead and overcome their Madrid opponents in just their third league game of the year. Alvaro Garcia had actually put the home team ahead.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Dimitrievski; Ratiu, Mumin, Lejeune, Espino; Palazon, Valentin, U Lopez, De Frutos; Nteka, Camello
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Cancelo, Araujo, Kounde, Balde; Gundogan, Pedri, F Lopez; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix
We declare: Barcelona 1-2 Rayo Vallecano
Rayo will be confident because of their recent performance against Barcelona, and the visitors aren’t exactly playing at their best right now in terms of output and results. Nonetheless, the Catalan giants are favored to earn a crucial three points this weekend since they always manage to triumph when it matters most.
