Barca can take another step towards La Liga glory with a Saturday victory - but they have a Champions League meeting with Lyon to consider
Barcelona will seek to reinforce their lead at the top of the Primera Division on Saturday by overcoming Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.
Barca suffered a 1-0 loss to Girona in the Supercopa de Catalunya on Wednesday but used a fringe side after successive Clasico victories put them into a healthy position to claim the domestic double.
Against opponents fighting against the drop and on a five-match losing sequence, they will expect three more points.
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
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In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1 and can be streamed on Eleven Sports 1.
Squads & Team News
Barcelona’s only serious injury problem is Rafinha, although Thomas Vermaelan is regarded as a doubt.
Clement Lenglet is suspended in the middle of the defence, giving Samuel Umtiti the welcome opportunity of more game time ahead of a potential reunion with Lyon on Wednesday.
They will be at full strength after resting half their squad – and all their stars – for the Girona match in midweek.
Possible Barcelona starting XI: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Arthur; Messi, Suarez, Dembele
Rayo Vallecano are without the suspended Abdoulaye Ba for this encounter while Gorka Elustondo is injured and misses the match.
Possible Rayo Vallecano starting XI: Dimitrievski; Advincula, Velazquez, Amat, Galvez, Moreno; Embarba, Imbula, Comesana, Trejo; Raul
Betting & Match Odds
Barcelona can be backed at a price of 1/6 at Bet365. Rayo Vallecano's test is highlighted by their 14/1 price, while the draw is offered at 7/1.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
Barcelona cannot yet allow themselves the luxury of taking their foot off the pedal in La Liga, despite an eight-point advantage at the summit of the table ahead of Atletico Madrid.
Nevertheless, Ivan Rakitic’s goal in a 1-0 Clasico success over Real Madrid last weekend has put them in a strong position to claim the title. With the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash against Lyon, which is delicately poised at 0-0, to come in midweek, it is breathing space that is most welcome.
Gerard Pique, however, has urged his team-mates to continue in a positive manner this weekend.
“We’ve made a statement beating Madrid but it’s not definitive by any means,” he said.
“It allows us a certain amount of calm for the final games of the season, but it won’t mean anything if we mess up against Rayo Vallecano next week.”
And the centre-back’s calls for vigilance deserves to be heeded as this has been a far from flawless season for Ernesto Valverde’s men, who have tripped up surprisingly on multiple occasions.
Indeed, before sweeping Sevilla aside 4-2 on February 23, which triggered a fine burst of form, Barca had won only one of their previous five fixtures, albeit four were drawn.
Rayo Vallecano boss Michel may have seen his side lose their last five matches, but has drawn confidence from Ajax’s stunning 4-1 win over Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu in midweek.
“They went there with nothing to lose, and that’s how we are going to Camp Nou,” he said.
“The last two games are the ones that have hurt us the most. The three promoted teams are the in the fight to go down, but our initial aim this season was to survive and we’re still in a position to achieve it.”
If Rayo were to claim anything from Saturday’s fixture, it would provide the squad with a massive boost after a tricky run – and raise fresh questions over Barca’s form ahead of the season’s climax.