Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona La Liga Odds, Preview
Another Top Three Opponent for Rayo
Gavi Tears ACL on International Duty
Barcelona received terrible news on Sunday as Gavi tore his ACL in Spain’s match vs. Georgia and is set to miss the rest of the season. They’ll certainly miss their 19-year-old wonderkid, and Xavi will have to adjust as Barcelona head to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Rayo are playing a top-three team for a third straight match and have managed to hold their own so far. In what could be a tricky match for Barça, we’ll take a look at the Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona La Liga odds.
Game Information
Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona
Date, time:
Location: Estadio de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain
Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between these teams in La Liga 2023-2024. Last season, Rayo Vallecano went unbeaten vs. champions Barcelona. Rayo defeated Barcelona 2-1 at home, and the reverse fixture, at the Camp Nou, finished scoreless. Incredibly, Rayo are unbeaten in their last four games vs. Barcelona and have picked up a home win in this fixture in each of the last two seasons. Before Rayo’s unbeaten run, Barcelona were on a 14-game winning streak in this fixture.
Rayo’s Unbeaten Run Comes to an End
Rayo Vallecano have held their own in La Liga this season despite having quite a small budget. They enter Matchday 13 in 10th place, with a 4-6-3 record. Before the international break, Girona ended Rayo’s eight-game La Liga unbeaten run. Hosts Rayo took a lead in the match as Alvaro Garcia scored. However, La Liga leaders Girona came back to pick up a 2-1 road win.
While Rayo have lost just once in their last nine matches, they’ve also won just twice. Six of Rayo Vallecano’s last nine matches have finished in draws. This season, they’ve managed to pick up a point vs. Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Sevilla. Here, the La Liga odds price Rayo as +435 underdogs.
Rayo’s leading scorer this season, Alvaro Garcia, is out due to a one-match suspension for this one. Plus, forward Oscar Trejo is dealing with a knee injury that should keep him out until next month. Garcia has started all of Rayo’s matches this season and Trejo has started seven. So, expect Bebe and Radamel Falcao to receive minutes in this match.
Lewandowski Double Powers Barcelona Over Alaves
Barcelona’s recent results haven’t exactly been convincing. However, the Barcelona standings show that they’re only four points behind La Liga leaders Girona coming out of the international break. Two weekends ago, third-placed Barcelona hosted Alaves and the visitors got on the scoresheet just 18 seconds into the game. It was a poor start to the match, especially given Barcelona were coming off a 1-0 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
In the second half Robert Lewandowski equalized on a well-taken header from a Jules Kounde cross. Lewandowski also converted a 78th minute penalty to give Barcelona a lead that they didn’t relinquish. Bettors should note that Barcelona haven’t won a match in La Liga by more than a one-goal margin for over two months. Over their last five matches, Barça are 3-1-1 with just a +2 goal difference.
Along with Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Sergi Roberto look set to miss out on this match. However, Pedri has returned to the lineup in recent weeks, which boosts Barcelona’s midfield. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen picked up a back injury on international duty with Germany but Barcelona seem confident that the shot stopper won’t miss any time. Here, the Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona La Liga odds price the visitors as -150 favorites.
Match Analysis & Odds
Two of Rayo Vallecano’s biggest offensive threats are out for this match and Barcelona will look to capitalize. Bettors should note that Rayo are just 1-3-2 at home this season while they’re 3-3-1 on the road. Meanwhile, Barcelona are an unbeaten 3-3-0 away from home in La Liga. The Rayo Vallecano vs. Barcelona La Liga odds list hosts Rayo as +435 underdogs and Barcelona as -150 favorites. Plus, a draw sits at +310 odds for this one.
With how Barcelona haven’t blown out any of their opponents recently, bettors may find Rayo +0.5, +1 at even odds an intriguing pick. Meanwhile, Barcelona -0.5, -1 sits at -120. Lewandowski will be a handful for Rayo’s defense but they did shut out Real Madrid a few weekends ago.
With Frenkie de Jong and Gavi out, Xavi may continue to rely on youth. Attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez has recently broke into the team, while winger Lamine Yamal has also played a big role this season. Joao Felix, who could start on the left wing, is another player that could cause Rayo problems. For this match, both over and under 2.5, 3 goals are priced at -110 odds.
