Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Spanish La Liga match.
Before their away game against Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona had yet to drop points in La Liga. After tough encounters with Valencia and Athletic Bilbao (both 2:1 victories), the team should find joy in the opponent's penalty area against a mid-table team that is unlikely to stop the favourites.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano's surprise victory in San Sebastian over Real Sociedad (2:1) was one of the opening round's shocks. However, they allowed 1.55 xGA, meaning the team failed to capitalise on their chances. Against Getafe (0:0), Rayo again struggled in finishing (0.25 xG vs 0.67), but managed to hold off the opponent’s pressure— a trick unlikely to succeed against the high-powered attack of the Catalan club, whose player class is far superior to previous rivals.
Barcelona
A mixed preseason forced Barcelona to show their best in La Liga. Early in the campaign, Robert Lewandowski has been a bright spot: the Pole leads the scoring charts with three goals, while Lamine Yamal has scored 1+ 1. Against Athletic Bilbao (2:1), seven homegrown talents were fielded, each eager to prove their worth in the top flight.
Rayo Vallecano - Barcelona Prediction
Last season, Rayo Vallecano conceded a total of four goals to Barcelona (1:1 and 0:3). The Catalan team is expected to succeed in attack once again, so we’re betting on their individual total.
