Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Preview

Barcelona will return to La Liga action this Tuesday when they travel to Madrid to face Rayo Vallecano.

Vallecano have started the season well, following up their 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in week one with a goalless draw in their last game against Getafe.

This is the third consecutive season that the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas outfit has remained unbeaten in its first two games. Yet, they have lost the third match on both previous occasions, including a 7-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid last season, which was the joint-heaviest loss in the club’s history.

They also lost to their Tuesday opponents, Barcelona, by the same scoreline at home in April 2012. However, there’s enough reason for Iñigo Pérez’s men to be cheerful ahead of this fixture as Rayo have won two of their last three home H2Hs (D1) and avoided defeat in six of their last eight home league games (W3, D3).

Meanwhile, Barcelona will look to make it three wins in a row when they face Rayo Vallecano. The visitors travel on the back of consecutive 2-1 wins to start their La Liga season extending their winning league streak to six. New manager Hansi Flick is happy with the perfect start to the season, but with tricky-looking games against Girona and Villarreal up next, slipping up here could prove dangerous for the manager’s long-term ambitions.

Barcelona have scored exactly twice in their last five away league games, winning the last two by a 2-1 scoreline. The three points are always most important, but keeping a clean sheet has proved difficult. The Catalans failed to secure a shutout in four of those five aforementioned league trips, conceding nine goals in the process.

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera Liga:

Spanish Primera Liga Table