Rayo Vallecano heads into this match in a challenging stretch, having suffered defeat in 11 of their last 15 LaLiga fixtures. In contrast, although Barcelona isn’t at their absolute best this season, they’ve still managed to win eight of their last 11 league games.
Barcelona has become known for their low-scoring away matches, with 16 of their last 18 LaLiga road games featuring three goals or fewer, including the last 11 in a row. Rayo Vallecano’s home games have shown a similar trend, with 18 of their last 20 matches in the league also ending with under 3.5 goals.
In 14 of Rayo Vallecano’s last 18 LaLiga games, at least one team has kept a clean sheet, a trend that is also evident with Barcelona, where 16 of their last 19 away matches have seen one side fail to score. Given these patterns, it’s likely that only one team, if any, will score in this encounter.
Prediction
Barcelona has been on an impressive run in their recent away games, winning eight consecutive LaLiga matches. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano has struggled on home turf, losing their last four matches and conceding 12 goals in the process.
Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 0 : 2 Barcelona
