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Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona
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Kick Off: Tuesday 27th August at 20:30
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Competition: La Liga
It has been an ideal start for Hansi Flick in Spain, as Barcelona have picked up six points from their opening two games. Given that rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both failed to win their respective opening fixtures, hopes are currently high in Catalan.
But Rayo Vallecano have also got off to an undefeated start, and will look to make life difficult for Barcelona in Madrid. Despite Barcelona coming in as heavy pre-match favourites, this game has the potential to be extremely competitive.
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Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona Best Bets
Barcelona look a much more potent attacking unit under Hansi Flick. With that in mind, they have also conceded in both games, and look vulnerable defensively without Ronald Araujo. Rayo Vallecano can certainly cause issues on the break, and are good enough to get on the scoresheet here. Barcelona put three past Vallecano in the most recent head-to-head fixture between the two, so Over 2.5 Goals at 1.73 looks a shrewd bet for this game.
Barcelona have accumulated the most xG in the league so far, averaging 2.55 xGF per game, and over 2.5 goals has landed in six out of six games for Barcelona under Hansi Flick, including their pre-season outings.
Robert Lewandowski looks back to his best and has started the season hot with three goals in the opening two games. Further than that, he’s accumulated 3.02 xG alone. He’s playing in a system that allows him to leverage his goalscoring ability and experience as a poacher, spending most of the time in the box, which has resulted in Lewandowski scoring 84 goals in 72 games under Hansi Flick. Because of that, Lewandowski to score anytime at 2.0 looks a great value price.
📂 Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona Cheat Sheet
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📊 Rayo Vallecano Form and Stats
Rayo Vallecano got off to an ideal start in the league, with a victory on the road against Real Sociedad. Despite seeing just 34% possession, Vallecano accumulated 1.11 xGF from 12 shots as they were effective on the break.
The proceeding game against Getafe provided less entertainment, as it finished as a goalless stalemate. Vallecano managed just 3 shots in total, lacking any real attacking intent. Los Franjirrojos started the previous campaign with consecutive victories, putting them near the top of the table, before a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid. Vallecano got off to a really good start overall last season, and sat in the top-half in November. Results swiftly declined, however, and they were lucky to avoid relegation, finishing 17th. They will be hoping for more consistent results this campaign.
Rayo Vallecano were guilty of committing 21 fouls in their first game of the season, and 18 fouls in the second. They will look to be aggressive against Barcelona, and break up the play as much as possible once more.
📊 Barcelona Form and Stats
Hansi Flick has hit the ground running as Barcelona manager, with back-to-back 2-1 victories to kick off the league campaign putting them near the summit. A common theme so far has been Barcelona’s ability to create ample scoring chances with an extremely fluid frontline. Against Valencia, they created 3.22 xGF from 18 shots, with five big chances. In the proceeding game against Athletic Club, Barcelona managed 1.83 xGF from 13 shots, again creating five big chances.
Lewandowski got on the scoresheet in both games, netting a brace against Valencia, before scoring the winner against Athletic Club. In addition, the Polish international also spurned three big chances, hitting the woodwork twice in their previous game. Hansi Flick has got Barcelona playing a much more attacking brand of football, aiming to play direct and counter-press strongly on turnovers. It has so far allowed his team to dominate possession, and consistently fashion high quality chances for talisman Lewandowski.
⚔️ Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona Head-to-Head
Barcelona could only scrape a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano last time out at the Vallecas Stadium, frustrated by a resolute defence. After going 1-0 down in the first half, Barcelona struggled to fashion any high quality chances, with 1.04 xG from 15 shots. Florian Lejeune eventually poked the ball into his own net in the 82nd minute to rescue a point for the Catalans. It was an extremely physical affair, as Vallecano committed 23 fouls along with 22 tackles. Referee Jose Montero was kept busy, dishing out seven cards in total.
Barcelona fared much better at home, easing to a 3-0 win thanks to an early goal from Robert Lewandowski, followed up by a Pedri brace. The scoreline doesn’t do Vallecano any justice, as they managed more shots and produced a higher xG figure than Barcelona in that game, despite seeing just 28% possession. Overall, Vallecano have proven to be frustrating opponents, as the Catalans have only managed one victory in the last six league head-to-head fixtures.
* We recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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