Must Win Game for Barcelona as They Fight for First Place Against Rayo Vallecano
Barcelona is now in prime position to take first place in La Liga with their next match against Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona had some help from lower-ranked sides, Osasuna and Celta Vigo, taking away crucial points from rivals Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. Both sides suffered a red card in their games, which would cost them dearly as they both would tie 1-1. In Real Madrid's case, a questionable red card from Jude Bellingham late in the first half would have them down to 10 men entering halftime. They would later concede a penalty, where Osasuna would go on to score the tying goal. Atlético Madrid would too suffer an early red card, this time in the seventh minute. Their match would remain deadlocked until the 67th minute, where Celta Vigo legend Iago Aspas scored via a penalty. Atletico would tie in the 81st minute thanks to Alexander Sørloth to salvage a point at home. The La Liga table goes as follows: Real Madrid in first with 51 points with 24 games played, Atlético Madrid in second with 50 points with 24 games played, and Barcelona in third with 48 points with 23 games played.
Facing Rayo
For Barcelona in recent years, playing against Rayo has been a difficult task. They have only won one of their last three home wins against the club, with the last six matches being evenly split at two wins, two losses, and two ties. Rayo at the moment is also on a hot streak in La Liga, winning their last three and being undefeated in their last nine. For Rayo, they are also fighting for European football, so an upset win keeps them closer to Europa League football. In such an important match for both clubs and with immense pressure on Barcelona to win, Rayo has the chance to pull off an impressive upset.
Prediction
Despite recent history saying it is a struggle for Barcelona to win against Rayo, I believe they will find a way to win. It is an incredibly important match, and in these matches so far this season, Barcelona has not disappointed, such as matches against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. It will not be a simple match compared to others this season, but once Barcelona can score the opening goal, they can start to pile them up. Keeping Rayo in the game for a long time, however, will only hurt Barcelona in the long run as the game goes on. I predict a 3-1 Barcelona win, with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal as the two goal-scorers for the club. Thus, Barcelona will secure an important win and the first-place lead of La Liga once again.
