I will try to shock you by saying that this time Rayo Vallecano won’t play 2-2! Rayo scored exactly two goals and also conceded exactly two in the last three matches in a row. Moreover, in the last 10 matches Rayo Vallecano played 2-2 seven times.
Rayo haven’t scored fewer than two in the last seven matches. And they can do it again versus Barca or Real Madrid. But the trouble is that the last game with these two ended with 2-5 and 2-10 defeats for Rayo.
Rayo are always faithful to their reckless style of play, and even against Barca, the red-whites play an open game and try to get the ball. Once, Rayo even possessed the ball more than Barcelona! But that match ended 0:4.
In the last seven games against Barca, the home team lost seven times. Here are the scores, from first to last – 4:0, 7:0, 5:0, 3:1, 4:0, 6:0, 2:0, 6:1, 5:2. Once I asked the defender of Rayo Vallecano Razvan Rat, why does his team always get involved in an open game even against Barcelona? He told me that the head coach Paco Jemez requires the team to be always faithful to his style and often insists that the players of Rayo should never adjust to the opponent, it must be the opponents that should adjust to Rayo. Even the giants.
Rayo are now significantly weaker than their usual level. They’ve got 10 injuries, Including forward Miku, who scored five in the last six matches. The most important losses are in the defence, including Rat. Barcelona have only Rafinha injured and Dani Alves suspended. Of course, Luis Enrique will give rest to some of the leaders, but even if Barcelona won’t field the best players, they have to deal with Rayo pretty confidently even in an away game.