| The match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano at the Spotify Camp Nou is crucial for the Catalans' ambitions to maintain their leadership position in LaLiga. Barcelona enter the match as absolute favorites, but Rayo often proves to be a tough nut to crack for the big teams. Hansi Flick's team is on an incredible run, having won all 14 of their home games in the championship so far. In their last two matches at Camp Nou, they have scored a total of 12 goals recording a 5-2 win against Sevilla and 7-2 win against Newcastle in the Champions League, which shows the devastating power of their attack. Rayo Vallecano are on a 6-match unbeaten run in LaLiga, which gives them a breath of fresh air in the battle for survival. However, they are struggling on the road, having failed to win away from home in their last 8 visits. The defense of the hosts is seriously weakened by injuries to Andreas Christensen, Jules Kunde, Alejandro Balde and Erik Garcia. Frenkie de Jong also remains out. The good news is that goalkeeper Joan Garcia has recovered and will start. A rotation in attack is expected, with Ferran Torres likely to start in place of Robert Lewandowski to give the Pole a rest. The visitors will be without defenders Nobel Mendy and Diego Mendes. They will rely on the experience of players such as Lejeune and Pacha Espino to try to stop Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. |
