Dani Olmo ready to make his Barcelona debut as the Catalans chase a third straight win
Barcelona face Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday evening at 20:30 (GMT+1) at the Estadio de Vallecas. The Catalans, under new manager Hansi Flick, are looking to claim their third consecutive La Liga victory. New signing Dani Olmo could make his debut after earlier registration issues with the Spanish football federation. The match will be refereed by Cesar Soto Grado.
Barcelona look to extend their impressive run under Flick
Hansi Flick has made an immediate impact at FC Barcelona. Following last weekend's 2-1 victory over Athletic Club, the German manager has now gone six matches unbeaten at the helm. The Catalans are chasing their third consecutive league win and head to Madrid in confident mood. In their last five away fixtures, Barcelona scored at least twice in every game, with the last two ending in 2-1 victories. That attacking consistency is encouraging, though defensive concerns remain. In those same five away matches, the side conceded nine goals in total, highlighting that their defensive solidity on the road still leaves plenty to be desired. Olympic gold medallist Fermín López could be a real threat going forward — his last three La Liga goals have all come away from home. Flick is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Robert Lewandowski leading the attack. New signing Dani Olmo, who previously encountered issues with his official La Liga registration, could be handed his debut. On the other hand, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, Frenkie De Jong and Gavi are all sidelined through injury.
Rayo Vallecano banking on home advantage after mixed start
Rayo Vallecano have had a mixed start to the 2024/25 La Liga season. An encouraging 2-1 win over Real Sociedad on matchday one was followed by a goalless draw against Getafe — the first scoreless draw of the season in La Liga. It is the third consecutive campaign in which Rayo have gone unbeaten through their opening two fixtures, though history offers manager Iñigo Pérez little comfort. In each of the previous two seasons, the Madrid club have gone on to lose in the third match, including a painful 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Atlético Madrid last year. For context, Barcelona once handed Rayo an equally brutal 7-0 defeat of their own, back in April 2012. Nevertheless, there is some cause for optimism at the Estadio de Vallecas. In their last three home matches against Barcelona, Rayo have won twice and drawn once, remaining unbeaten throughout. The side have also gone undefeated in six of their last eight La Liga home games (3 wins, 3 draws, 2 defeats). Pérez is likely to also deploy a 4-2-3-1 system, with Randy Nteka leading the attack. Diego Méndez is the only confirmed absentee for Rayo Vallecano, ruled out with a ligament injury.
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Source: Sportmonks
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