As most top European leagues wrap up this weekend, La Liga has another exciting gameweek ahead.
Barcelona will take on Rayo Vallecano at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, and the odds are heavily in favor of a Barcelona victory.
Match Preview
Barcelona climbed back to second place after Girona’s loss to Villarreal and their own win over Almeria on Thursday.
Before that, Xavi’s team secured a victory against Real Sociedad, with goals from Lamine Yamal and a penalty by Raphinha.
Interestingly, this match was initially thought to be Xavi’s last as Barcelona’s manager, but he has decided to stay for another season.
Despite a surprising loss to Girona recently, where Andreas Christensen scored early only for Girona to equalize moments later, Barcelona has remained resilient.
Robert Lewandowski, with his 24th goal of the season, is still in the race for the Pichichi Trophy, although he trails Artem Dovbyk by three goals.
Despite conceding 43 goals this season and trailing Real Madrid by 13 points, Barcelona has secured their Champions League spot for next season and aims to solidify second place in the final two games.
Rayo Vallecano sits 15th in the standings, just six points clear of the relegation zone.
They are not entirely safe yet but have a nine-goal cushion over Cadiz, making it unlikely they’ll drop unless they lose both remaining matches dramatically.
Given this is only Vallecano’s third consecutive season in La Liga, their primary goal is survival.
A single point in this match would ensure their stay in the top flight for another year, which would be a relief for their fans after a challenging season.
Prediction & Analysis:
With Barcelona aiming to secure their spot in the Champions League for next season, and Rayo Vallecano fighting to avoid relegation, we predict a victory for Barcelona with over 2.5 goals in the match.
- Barcelona 3-0 Rayo Vallecano
