Three talking points ahead of Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona

The Estadio de Vallecas will see league leaders Barcelona in action against Rayo Vallecano late on Wednesday night. Fresh off their win over Atletico Madrid at home, the Catalans could be in no better mentality heading into the midweek game.

The hosts sit in tenth place in La Liga with ten wins and as many losses in 30 league games. Their recent form has been an acute concern for they have won just one of their last ten matches.

A win tomorrow would see Xavi’s men go 14 points clear of Real Madrid atop the league standings. With seven games left to go after the clash against Andoni Iraola’s side, a win would go a long way in securing the title.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona.

1. Magic from the minute one

Barcelona received twin boosts ahead of their clash against Atletico Madrid at the weekend. The two players reintroduced, it is safe to say, made the team look rejuvenated.

Frenkie de Jong returned from injury and started on the night. The Dutchman was deployed alongside Sergio Busquets and Gavi in the middle of the park and made a tangible difference from the first minute.

With the former Ajax star in the dynamics, Xavi’s men looked calmer and more purposeful in their attacking moves. The situation only got better after Pedri’s introduction.

The Golden Boy award winner entered the field in the second half and was clearly far from his best. Yet, such is his quality that even his rusty version catalysed Barcelona’s possession to greater threats.

Looking ahead to the clash against Rayo Vallecano midweek, Xavi could look to use both stars from the first minute.

Barcelona are this expected to return to their four-man midfield setup with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong playing as the two interiors. Gavi, on the other hand, is likely to return to the left wing where he has seen much success this season.

With their midfield maestros back in action from the opening whistle, one could wager a good amount towards a solid performance with no dearth of creativity.

2. A possible re-run

With Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso in the dynamics, Eric Garcia is far from a starting spot in central defence. The La Masia graduate has struggled for minutes in defence this season but not all has been doom and gloom for the youngster.

Keeping in mind Garcia’s strength on the ball, distribution and ability to win the ball back, Xavi has suggested that the youngster could have a future as a defensive midfielder.

The 22-year-old backed up his manager’s trust with a splendid performance as the pivot against Elche, opening doors to more opportunities in the position.

Ahead of the team’s fixture against Rayo Vallecano, Xavi confirmed that using Garcia as a pivot on the night was a viable option especially with Sergio Busquets suspended for the match.

Barcelona’s centre-back thus has a massive chance to prove himself come Wednesday. Keeping the likes of Isi Palazon, Oscar Trejo, Oscar Valentin and Raul de Tomas at bay is not an easy task even for the best in the business, and a strong display from Garcia would thus be a loud statement.

3. The Rayo Vallecano curse

Barcelona last beat Rayo Vallecano in January 2021 in the Copa del Rey. The two teams have met thrice since that night and the results are not in favour of the Blaugranas.

Barcelona lost to the Madrid-based side by a 1-0 scoreline in October 2021 when Radamel Falcao netted a first-half winner. The Catalans had five big chances but failed to convert even once.

Fast forward six months and the two teams played once again in La Liga, this time at Spotify Camp Nou. The venue change brought no relief for the hosts as they went down to an early Alvaro Garcia goal and lost the game by the same margin.

Their most recent meeting in Catalonia earlier this season was another ordeal. The Blaugranas were down to ten men and could only salvage a 0-0 draw.

Given the recent record against Rayo Vallecano, Xavi’s men will be hungry for the win when they take to the field on Wednesday. After all, a victory would take them one step closer to mathematically closing the league race.