FULL TIME
2-1
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Barcelona : possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, I Martinez, Balde; Bernal, Casado; Yamal, Pedri, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Rayo Vallecano: possible starting lineup: Padilla; Gorosabel, Yeray, Vivian, Yuri; Prados, Vesga; I Williams, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta
Match Preview
Barcelona will aim to secure their third consecutive win at the start of the 2024-25 La Liga season when they face Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday night. Hansi Flick's team has already recorded victories over Valencia and Athletic Bilbao, setting a strong early pace. Meanwhile, Rayo has also had an encouraging start, collecting four points from their first two games.
Rayo Vallecano began their campaign with an impressive 2-1 win away at Real Sociedad, followed by a goalless draw against Getafe. Four points from these fixtures mark a solid beginning for Inigo Perez's squad, who now face consecutive home matches against Barcelona and Espanyol. After the international break, they will meet Osasuna on September 14.
Since returning to La Liga, Rayo has had mixed results, finishing 12th, 11th, and 17th in the last three seasons. They narrowly avoided relegation last year, ending just five points clear of the drop zone. Over the summer, Rayo bolstered their squad with five new signings, though they also saw five players depart, including the significant loss of Andres Martin to Racing Santander.
In recent encounters, Rayo has held their own against Barcelona, winning three of their last six La Liga meetings and losing only once—a 3-0 defeat last May. On the other hand, Barcelona has started the season strongly, with 2-1 wins over Valencia and Athletic Bilbao. Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski have been key contributors, helping the team secure six points from their opening matches.
However, Barcelona continues to face off-field challenges, particularly with player registrations. The club is working to offload players to ensure that new signing Dani Olmo and any potential late arrivals can be registered. Despite these issues, Lewandowski's form has been a positive highlight.
Barcelona has struggled against Rayo in recent years, failing to win in five La Liga matches between October 2021 and November 2023. Their last visit to Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw last November. With Real Madrid posing a significant threat this season, Barcelona knows the importance of every match and will enter Tuesday's game as strong favorites.
Team News:
Rayo Vallecano will be without Andrei Ratiu due to a muscle injury, but the team is otherwise in good shape. Due to the quick turnaround, some rotation is expected, with Isi Palazon potentially coming in for Oscar Trejo in the number 10 role. Sergio Camello might replace Randy Nteka as the central striker.
For Barcelona, five players are sidelined with injuries: Andreas Christensen, Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, and Gavi. Hansi Flick has expressed uncertainty about whether Dani Olmo will be registered in time, but even if he is, the new signing is unlikely to start due to a lack of match fitness. The only expected change from the team that faced Athletic could be Fermin Lopez replacing Ferran Torres, following Lopez’s return from international duty.