The Matchday 3 La Liga encounter between Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona will take place on August 31 at the Campo de Vallecas Stadium in Madrid. Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rayo Vallecano
Under the guidance of Inigo Perez, Rayo Vallecano started with a confident victory, defeating Girona away with a score of 1-3. In the next round, the team also played away but was weaker than Athletic (0-1). The defeat by the Basques ended a six-match unbeaten run for the Madrid side in La Liga (4 wins and 2 draws).
- The team has not conceded more than 1 goal in 6 of their last 7 matches in La Liga.
- In their last 8 home matches in La Liga, Rayo Vallecano has only managed 1 victory (5 draws and 2 defeats).
- The Madrid side has not scored more than 1 goal in 7 of their last 9 home league matches.
Predicted lineup for Rayo Vallecano (4-5-1)
Augusto Batalla – Florian Lejeune, Andrei Ratiu, Luis Felipe, Pep Chavarria – Pathé Ciss, Isi Palazón, Pedro Diaz, Unai Lopez, Alvaro Garcia – Jorge de Frutos.
Barcelona
The Catalans ended last season with a resounding away victory over Athletic (3-0). They started the new championship with the same scoreline, also away, defeating Mallorca. Then Hans Flick's side traveled to Levante, where they narrowly won 3-2. Notably, the club was trailing by two goals during the match, with the decisive goal scored in the 91st minute. Additionally, Barcelona has secured 18 wins in their last 20 La Liga matches (1 draw and 1 defeat).
- In their last 7 La Liga matches, the team has not scored less than two goals.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Barcelona's last 7 league games.
- The Catalans' away winning streak in La Liga stands at 9 matches.
Predicted lineup for Barcelona (4-3-3)
Joan Garcia – Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alex Balde, Eric Garcia – Marc Casado, Pedri, Ferran Torres – Marcus Rashford, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha Dias.
Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen and defender Dani Rodriguez will not play due to injuries.
Defender Abel Bretones will miss his second match due to suspension.
Referee
Mateo Busquets (Spain)
Matches – 20 (La Liga, 2024/2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 110;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.5;
Red cards shown – 7;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 25%.
Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona: Match Prediction
The Catalans will play their third consecutive away match in the new championship. Nevertheless, the team performs excellently both at home and away. Moreover, the club has not lost an away match in La Liga since November last year, and in their last 9 away games, they have only won. In this series, Barcelona has scored at least two goals 8 times.
I believe Hans Flick's side will extend their away winning streak. They might even win by a margin of two or more goals. In the previous 9 away La Liga matches, the team won by more than 1 goal 6 times. It is also worth noting that Rayo Vallecano has lost their last three head-to-head encounters in La Liga.
My prediction: Barcelona with a handicap (-1)