Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
For Barcelona, this will be a third straight game against mid-table opposition, and the previous two were far from straightforward. Rayo Vallecano, fresh from reaching the Conference League group stage, now look to cause the Catalan giants some problems.
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano have made an impressive start to the season: a confident 3:1 victory over Girona, a respectable showing away at Athletic Bilbao (0:1), and two wins against Neman in the Conference League qualifiers with a combined score of 5:0. Jorge de Frutos and Álvaro García have been the standout performers in attack, combining for six goals in just four official fixtures. At home against Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano are never shy — in each of the last three meetings at Vallecas, both sides have found the net.
Barcelona
Barcelona remain perfect after two rounds, but both opening games have brought their own challenges. Against Mallorca (3:0), the job was done by half-time, but against Levante they were forced to grind out a late 3:2 win. The main concern has been the high defensive line, which regularly leaves them exposed to opposition traps. Yet, in attack, the trio of Raphinha Belloli, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal have already combined for seven goal contributions across those two matches.
Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Prediction
We can expect open, attacking football here: Rayo Vallecano will surely carve out chances, but keeping out Barcelona’s forward line looks a step too far. The visitors should score at least twice, though the hosts have every chance of replying.
