Overview
The derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will not take place until Sunday evening (local time), so if Barcelona wins this match, they can widen the gap to 7 points in the standings. This will put great pressure on coach Alvaro Arbeloa's team in the championship race.
Barcelona enters the upcoming match with an excited mentality after a devastating 7-2 victory over Newcastle United in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, thereby winning a ticket to the quarter-finals with a total score of 8-3.
Coach Hansi Flick's team will face Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals, but in the immediate future they are focusing all their strength on La Liga, with the goal of winning their fifth consecutive victory in the league.
Currently, Barcelona is leading the rankings with a 4-point gap from Real Madrid. The performance of the Catalan team is extremely impressive when they won 23, drew 1 and lost 4 after 28 rounds, and scored 77 goals.
Head-to-head history also leans completely towards Barca when they have won 30 and only lost 7 in 48 encounters with Rayo Vallecano. However, in the first leg of this season, the two teams drew 1-1.
In the opposite direction, Rayo Vallecano just won a ticket to the quarter-finals of the Conference League despite losing 0-1 to Samsunspor in the second leg of the round of 16, thereby advancing with a total score of 3-2.
In La Liga, the capital team is on a 6-match unbeaten streak, including a 1-1 draw against Levante in the most recent round. After 28 rounds, Rayo has 7 wins, 11 draws and 10 defeats, winning 32 points and ranked 13th, 6 points above the relegation group.
Currently, they are 9 points behind the top 6, so the most likely way to win a ticket to the European Cup next season is to win the Conference League. Although rated lower, Rayo still has positive memories at Camp Nou. They once won here in April 2022 and only lost narrowly 0-1 in the away match last season.
Personnel situation
Barcelona will not have the services of Andreas Christensen (knee), Jules Kounde (hamstring), Alejandro Balde (hamstring) and Frenkie de Jong (hamstring) in this match.
However, goalkeeper Joan Garcia and defender Eric Garcia are likely to return to the squad in time, despite the fact that both had to leave the field in the match against Newcastle before that.
In attack, Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford and Dani Olmo are all options that can be rotated. However, the trio Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha are expected to continue to support Robert Lewandowski - who just scored a double in the most recent match.
On Rayo Vallecano's side, Nobel Mendy will be absent due to suspension after receiving a red card in the 1-1 draw with Levante.
Diego Mendez has not yet been able to return due to injury, but apart from this case, the away team did not record any further losses after the European Cup match.
Alemao is likely to continue to play a role in midfield, while Alvaro Garcia will be a notable spearhead in attack. This player is having an impressive season with 12 goals and 9 assists.
Expected lineup:
J. Garcia, Cancelo, Cubarsi, E. Garcia, Martin, Bernal, Pedri, Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha, Lewandowski.
Rayo Vallecano: Batalla, Ratiu, Balliu, Lejeune, Pacha, Gumbau, Ciss, De Frutos, Diaz, A. Garcia, Alemao.
The match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano takes place at 8:00 PM on March 22nd (Vietnam time).
