Barcelona will be hosting La Liga surprise Rayo Vallecano in a match that could see the end of the La Liga title race. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our La Liga odds series, which includes our Barcelona-Rayo Vallecano prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Barcelona are entering this match after a series of some tough games. They crashed out of the Europa League, but also only produced minimal wins versus Sevilla, Levante, and Real Sociedad, and they even lost to Cadiz at home. If they were to lose this game, Real Madrid can secure the title with a win next weekend. On the other hand, Rayo Vallecano have enjoyed a great spell this season, despite some struggles as of late. As a newly promoted team, they are in 13th, seven points ahead of the relegation zone. They still need a few positive results to secure their La Liga life, but they should be completely fine.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Barcelona-Rayo La Liga odds:
La Liga Odds: Barcelona-Rayo Odds
Barcelona: (-350)
Rayo Vallecano: (+800)
Draw: (+480)
Over: 2.5 (-194)
Under: 2.5 (+158)
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Why Barcelona Could Win This Match
After their resurrection after Xavi took over in November, Barcelona have hit somewhat of a rough patch. Despite some really positive results, like winning 4-0 in the El Clasico or beating Sevilla 1-0 at the Camp Nou, the Cules have been fairly unconvincing. For instance, they were bailed out by a late Luuk de Jong header versus Levante and then lost to Cadiz in Barcelona. That means only one thing – there will be an explosion of goals in one of their next matches. A perfect opportunity, in front of their own fans, will be this match.
Technically speaking, Barcelona is still in the title race. They are 15 points behind Real Madrid and if they win here, it will be 12. It is a big stretch to expect Real Madrid to drop 12 out of the remaining 15 points after this game, but it is a mathematical chance, still. The biggest motivation for Barcelona should be ending the season strong and getting that coveted Champions League spot, which is huge considering the horrid start they had under coach Ronald Koeman.
Obviously, the other reason why Barcelona has a huge chance of winning this match is their quality. Despite missing Pedri and Ansu Fati for the remaining matches, the form of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, combined with how great their young midfield is looking, should be quality enough to win this match against an opponent from the lower half of the table.
Why Rayo Could Win This Match
As said in the beginning, Rayo has had an okay campaign this season. For a club from a small suburb of Madrid and with the smallest stadium in La Liga, the Vallecanos were able to get some good results this season. For instance, they beat Athletic Bilbao at their San Mames stadium, a feat many teams much stronger than them have not done in a while. Also, they beat their opponents from Sunday, Barcelona, in a late October clash that ultimately cost coach Koeman his job. Thus, there is precedence that Rayo can upset some teams in La Liga.
Additionally, Rayo Vallecano still need points to survive and a struggling Barcelona might be a good way to get further ahead of the struggling Granada, Cadiz, Mallorca, and Getafe, all teams that are behind Rayo in the standings. Obviously, their priority will be to win other matches they have lined up until the end of the season, but a win versus Barcelona would signify a team that is dead set on remaining in La Liga.
Talent-wise, Barcelona is ahead, but Rayo Vallecano players have tons of energy and spirit. Additionally, they also have some talent, such as Columbian striker Radamel Falcao. Falcao scored against both Real Madrid and Barcelona this season and despite his injury woes in the past few years, he is an elite striker. Look for Falcao, if anyone out of this Rayo team, to secure points for the Vallecanos against the somewhat struggling Barcelona.
Final Barcelona-Rayo Prediction & Pick
Despite all the things said about Rayo's successes earlier in the season and the inefficiency of Barcelona as of late, Barcelona is much stronger. Additionally, they cannot let go of any more points, not only due to a title race but also due to the top four race. Thus, our final Barcelona-Rayo Vallecano prediction is a Barcelona win at their iconic Camp Nou.
Final Barcelona-Rayo Prediction & Pick: Barcelona (-350)
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