Our betting expert expects Barca to drop points in an entertaining game that will feature plenty of goals, including one for Lamine Yamal.
Best bets for Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona
- Over 3.5 goals at odds of 2.07 on Betway
- Rayo Vallecano or draw at odds of 2.85 on Betway
- Lamine Yamal to score anytime at odds of 2.70 on Betway
Rayo Vallecano are expected to draw 2-2 against Barcelona.
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Our analysis: Form of both teams
With their opening three fixtures all away from home, Barcelona need just one more victory to enter the international break with a perfect record.
They started their title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win over Mallorca, who had nine players. It was tougher last weekend, as they were forced to fight back from 2-0 down away to newly promoted Levante. Pedri’s spectacular goal started their comeback, but they needed a stoppage-time own goal to secure the win.
This match is their toughest task yet. Rayo Vallecano have one win and one loss in La Liga, but this will be their first home fixture. Iñigo Perez’s side have also played in Europe over the past fortnight, having defeated Neman Grodno 5-0 on aggregate in the Conference League.
Probable lineups for Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona
Rayo Vallecano expected lineup: Batalla, Chavarria, Felipe, Lejeune, Ratiu, Lopez, Ciss, A. Garcia, Diaz, Palazon, De Frutos
Barcelona expected lineup: J. Garcia, Balde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Kounde, Pedri, De Jong, Raphinha, Olmo, Yamal, Ferran
Goals galore in another Barca game
Barcelona had a successful 2024/25 season because of their willingness to take risks by operating with a high line. While they scored an incredible 174 goals in all competitions, their defence was not perfect. In La Liga, 47% of their matches saw over 3.5 goals in total.
Hansi Flick hasn’t shown any signs of changing his approach this term. Last weekend, they left a lot of space behind their back four again. Having lost Iñigo Martinez, the player responsible for organising the defence, timing the offside trap may be more difficult this year.
Rayo will hope to take advantage of that, so this match will see plenty of goals. The underdogs started the season well, as they’ve scored three times at Girona. While they lack a strong striker, the likes of Jorge de Frutos, Isi Palazon, and Alvaro Garcia will cause problems for Barca’s backline.
- Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Bet 1: Over 3.5 goals at odds of 2.07 on Betway
Catalans to drop points in Vallecas again
This match was always expected to be the most difficult of Barcelona’s opening three fixtures. After being promoted under Andoni Iraola in 2021, Rayo were a threat to the Catalan giants for plenty of years.
The Madrid-based club didn’t lose any of their first five matches against Barca following their return to the top flight. While they were not as lucky against Flick’s team last term, both fixtures were close affairs. Rayo were only beaten by one goal on each occasion.
Having again rested most of their key players in Europe on Thursday, there’s little risk of Rayo’s players being tired on Sunday. They should be really competitive in this fixture again, and are given an implied probability of 34.5% of getting a positive result.
- Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Bet 2: Rayo Vallecano or draw at odds of 2.85 on Betway
Yamal to strike in end-to-end clash
Barca’s young star Lamine Yamal has already found the net this season. He scored a signature goal against Mallorca on Matchday 1, cutting in from the right and curling the ball into the net with his left foot.
The teenager only scored nine times in La Liga last term. While that was hardly a bad return for a player so young, he has the talent to improve this season. His average of 8.5 shots per game so far suggests that is certainly his target.
Rayo Vallecano will likely show more ambition than either Mallorca or Levante did. So, this has the potential to be an open, end-to-end encounter. Yamal could thrive in such a match, and he seems to have a better chance of scoring than an implied probability of 32.3% suggests.
- Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona Bet 3: Lamine Yamal to score anytime at odds of 2.70 on Betway