FC Barcelona will visit the Vallecas Stadium this Sunday, August 31 (9:30 PM CEST) to face Rayo Vallecano for the third matchday of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26. Hansi Flick's team is aiming for their third consecutive victory of the season, while the 'blanquirrojos' are coming off a loss against Athletic in the previous matchday (1-0).
Vallecas is a stage that in the last five years has become a difficult obstacle to overcome for Barça, so the 'azulgrana' team will have to demonstrate again their ability to overcome the physical clash and the intensity proposed by Iñigo Pérez's team.
High-voltage duels: the last five Rayo-Barça matches in Vallecas
The results of the last five 'culés' visits to Vallecas show that Rayo knows how to make life difficult for the 'blaugranas'. The balance in that period is even: two victories per side and one draw, with 7 goals for each team, although Barcelona took 4 out of 6 points in their last two visits to the Madrid stronghold.
2024/25 Season: Rayo 1-2 Barça
For matchday 3 of LaLiga 24/25, the team led by Hansi Flick came back to win by the narrowest of margins (1-2) with goals from Pedri (59') and Dani Olmo (81'). The 'franjirrojos' took the lead with a goal from Unai López (8'), but Olmo's entry in the second half was key to the comeback. On his debut, the player from Terrassa added a goal and an assist.
2023/24 Season: Rayo 1-1 Barça
The 23/24 season resulted in a draw in Vallecas (1-1) on matchday 14 with goals from Unai López (39') and Florian Lejeune (82'), the latter an own goal. The Catalans, still with Xavi Hernández on the bench, rescued a point at the end with some luck.
2022/23 Season: Rayo 2-1 Barça
On matchday 31 of LaLiga 22/23, Rayo prevailed against the 'blaugrana' club (2-1) with goals from Álvaro García Rivera (19') and Francisco José García (53'). Robert Lewandowski would score the consolation goal (83') for a Barcelona that, despite that defeat, was champion four matchdays before the end of the season.
2021/22 Season: Rayo 1-0 Barça
Rayo also made their home advantage count in 21722 with a victory by the narrowest of margins thanks to a single goal from Radamel Falcao (30'). In that season, Barça would also lose their home game against Rayo (0-1), already with Xavi on the bench. The 'egarense' only achieved one victory in five matches against the 'blanquirrojo' team.
2018/2019 Season: Rayo 2-3 Barça
In a complicated match on matchday 11, Barcelona would start winning with a goal from Luis Suárez (10'). However, Rayo turned the score around with goals from José Ángel Pozo (35') and Álvaro García (57'). The 'culés' would opt for the heroic with goals from Ousmane Dembélé (87') and another from Suárez to complete his brace (90'). That season, Barça was champion and Rayo finished last.
Vallecas: A trial by fire for Barcelona
In that sense, the recent history, far from being overwhelmingly positive, underscores the intrinsic difficulty of visiting Vallecas. The intensity and aggressive approach that characterize Rayo have managed to defeat in two of the last five visits a Barça that, despite its individual quality, has not always found answers in the collective game.
The 'culés' goals in the final stretch of the match are a constant, a hallmark of Hansi Flick's team to solve complex matches. For the 'azulgrana' coaching staff, the past does not play, but it does alert.
Rayo continues to be that uncomfortable rival that with great intensity has managed to bother the Catalan team on several occasions. Despite this, the 'azulgrana' team is confident of prevailing in a stadium that, this Sunday, will have a pitch in poor condition. Will the 'azulgrana' team be able to keep the three points?
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