Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Barcelona capitalised on last weekend’s Madrid derby draw, closing the gap in the title race. Against Rayo Vallecano, they will look to dominate, with several attacking stars eager to boost their goal tallies.
Barcelona
Since the start of 2025, Barcelona have won nine of their 11 matches, with February yielding three straight victories and an impressive 10:1 goal difference. After thrashing Valencia in the Copa del Rey (5:0), they comfortably saw off Sevilla (4:1) in La Liga, generating 4.75 xG across both games. At home, Barcelona have netted 28 goals in 10 matches—only Real Madrid (29) have been more prolific.
Rayo Vallecano
A favourable fixture list has helped Rayo Vallecano to five wins in seven matches since January. However, they struggled to convert chances against bottom-side Real Valladolid (1:0), despite generating 2.53 xG. Injuries to Sergio Camello and Unai López further weaken a side that have managed just 10 away goals in 12 matches—the worst attacking record in La Liga’s top six.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano Prediction
With Robert Lewandowski (19+2) and Raphinha Dias (13+6) among La Liga’s top scorers, plus Lamine Yamal leading the assists chart (5+10), Barcelona have plenty of firepower. In 2024, they twice defeated Rayo Vallecano (3:0 and 2:1), and another convincing home win looks likely.
