Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona: Lineups and LIVE Updates
Xavi’s men look to capitalize on Real Madrid’s slip up last night as they look to firm their grasp on the title.
Rayo Vallecano come into this game on the back of a 2-1 loss to Real Sociedad and are currently sat 11th in the league. The Madrid side has won, lost and drawn 10 games each with a goal difference of exactly zero. Rayo Vallecano have not lost any of their previous three games against the Barcelona, winning two and losing one and keeping a clean sheet every time. However their form recently is a bit of a concern as the Madrid side has only picked up eight points from a possible 30 in their last 10 games.
Barcelona’s title hopes received another major boost as Real Madrid lost their game against Girona. They come into this game on the back of a big win against rivals Atletico Madrid and will be hoping to continue in winning ways. The Blaugranas lost their previous visit to Rayo Vallecano failing to score as well. However Xavi’s side has a good record against teams from Madrid having lost just one of their last five visits to teams from the region.
42’ GOAL DISALLOWED: Barça equalize through Robert Lewandowski, but the goal is ruled out for a narrow offside.
19’ GOAL, Rayo 1-0 Barcelona (Álvaro): Rayo Vallecano take the lead on a quick counter-attack that ends with a powerful shot from Álvaro García into the bottom corner.
KICKOFF! Rayo 0-0 Barcelona: And we’re underway in Vallecas!
WELCOME TO THE CAMPO DE FÚTBOL DE VALLECAS!!! The tiny, cozy home of Rayo Vallecano in the city of Madrid is the site of a big La Liga clash between the hosts and Barcelona, who come into this one looking to increase their lead at the top of the table to 14 points with a win and essentially end the title race. But they have a brutal opponent in Rayo, a talented team that plays very well at home and always brings their A-game against Barça. This should be fun, and you’re welcome to join us to follow and comment all the action. Vamos!
(Note: the comments will be open only when the team news come out, because our commenter people love commenting and sometimes there are too many comments in the comments section)
LINEUPS
BARCELONA
Starting XI: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Alonso, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Gavi; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Ferran (4-3-3)
Substitutes: Peña (GK), Tenas (GK), Eric, Riad, Alba, Casadó, Kessie, Torre, Yamal, Fati
RAYO VALLECANO
Starting XI: Dimitrievski; Balliu, Lejeune, Catena, García; Valentín, López; Isi, Trejo, Álvaro; Camello (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: López (GK), Morro (GK), Hernández, Suárez, Chavarria, Mumin, Saveljich, Ciss, Pozo, Martín, Sánchez, De Tomás
MATCH INFO
Competition/Round: 2022-23 La Liga, Matchday 31
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 10pm CET (Barcelona), 9pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 4pm ET, 1pm PT (USA), 1.30am IST (India, Thursday)
Venue: Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano
VAR: José Luis González González
HOW TO WATCH
On TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), TSN 3 (Canada), Viaplay Sports 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), Sports18 (India), Not Available (Spain), others
Online: ESPN+ (USA), LaLigaTV (UK), DAZN (Spain), others
Matchday Thread Rules
We don’t have a lot of rules here, but there are a few things to keep in mind when joining our matchday threads:
Even if the referee sucks or we lose the game, watch the swearing. It’s just unnecessary. Also, don’t discuss illegal streaming links. Those who do it will be warned, and those who post links will be instantly banned. Finally, be nice to each other. This is a Barcelona community and we don’t need to offend one another.
Have fun with the game! Forever and ever, no matter the competition, VISCA EL BARÇA!