Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona 04/11/18

04 November 2018

After a narrow 1-0 triumph over Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa in midweek’s Copa del Rey encounter, Barcelona will be heading towards the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas to face-off against Rayo Vallecano.

With a record of one win, three draws, and six defeats, Los Franjirrojos are well anchored in the relegation zone, as only Huesca collected fewer points than them. With 20 goals conceded so far, Los Vallecanos hold the 2nd-worst defensive record in the Spanish top flight, having managed to keep a clean sheet just once in the opening ten meetings, not once at home. Moreover, Rayo have conceded 14 goals on home soil, more than any other side in the league, as they’ve lost three out of five matches in front of the local supporters while failing to secure a victory in the process. An 80% of Rayo Vallecano’s home games have produced three or more goals, which puts them on top, along with Barcelona and Levante.

On the other hand, as one of three teams to clinch six league triumphs so far, the Blaugrana currently top La Liga table with a 1-point lead over second-placed Deportivo Alaves. However, the Catalans have failed to achieve all three points in the past two road meetings, having lost 2-1 to Leganes while being held to a 1-1 draw to Valencia. Therefore, Ernesto Valverde would like to see his players ending a frustrating run, especially as they’ve outclassed Real Madrid in last weekend’s El Clasico, registering an astonishing 5-1 victory. Meanwhile, the current La Liga holders have only kept a clean sheet once in the previous four away clashes, with 50% of these encounters producing more than two goals.

Provisional line-up – Rayo Vallecano:

Gk: Garcia Cabrera Defense: Alex Moreno – Amat – Advincula Midfield: Imbula – Oscar Trejo – Comesana – Gael Kakuta Attack: Alex Alegria – Embarba – Raul de Tomas

Provisional line-up – Barcelona:

Gk: Marc-Andre ter Stegen Defense: Pique – Lenglet – Jordi Alba – Sergi Roberto Midfield: Sergio Busquets – Rakitic – Arthur Melo Attack: Rafinha Alcantara – Coutinho – Luis Suarez