Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano | La Liga MD 29 | OneFootball

Barcelona’s final game ahead of the international break sees them play hosts to Rayo Vallecano in an early kickoff on Sunday – a game that will determine the lead with which they enter the break.

Ahead of the game, the visitors sit in 13th place on the standings with seven wins, 11 draws, and ten defeats in La Liga and a total of 32 points after 28 games.

Notably, however, they held Barcelona to a draw in their last meeting when Fran Perez cancelled out Lamine Yamal’s opener in the second half, with even a late scramble being unable to earn the Catalans all three points.

With the Madrid derby played later on Sunday night, Barça will be keen to take all three points and put pressure on both their direct rivals, one of whom will certainly drop points this matchday.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano.

Momentum to carry forward

While Barcelona have been known to be goalscoring machines under Hansi Flick, seven goals is still an anomaly for them to score in any circumstance.

To do so in the UEFA Champions League against a big Premier League team, needless to say, comes as a massive result and momentum booster for the Catalans, and it is clear that the mood in the dressing room must be at an all-time high.

Momentum, however, is only as good as it is recent and is thus a very subjective matter. If Barcelona are to keep the euphoria and confidence of their newfound attacking efficiency, they must recreate similar form tomorrow afternoon.

For long this season, finishing deficiencies have troubled the Blaugrana despite the numerous chances they have created week in and week out. 

At a juncture in the season where goalscoring efficiency grows exponentially important, all eyes will be on the forwards tomorrow to see if they can once again come on top in dominant fashion.

With five and seven goals in their last two games respectively, Barcelona are arguably in their best moment of the season. Can they keep it going?

A big chance for Espart

Another start beckons Xavi Espart. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

With Eric Garcia asking to be taken off early in Barcelona’s midweek game against Newcastle United, and not training today, Hansi Flick will not start the Spanish defender against Rayo Vallecano.

The right-back position, thus, is up for grabs, and not many candidates compete for the starting spot, with even Jules Kounde injured.

One of the players with the highest chances of starting on Sunday afternoon, thus, is the young academy talent Xavi Espart, who has grown in prominence and earned the manager’s trust in recent games.

The 18-year-old talent first came on for the senior team this season in the first leg against Newcastle in the 88th minute. He then started and played all 90 minutes against Sevilla before playing 24 minutes in the second leg of the Round of 16.

In his two latest performances, Espart has shown good reason for the manager to count on him. He has been rock-solid at the back, has nailed the fundamentals, and has exhibited a good range of passing.

More importantly, he has not faltered under pressure or the opponent’s press and could earn another start on Sunday against Rayo Vallecano.

With Garcia and Kounde likely to be back after the break, Espart must take his chances as they come, and tomorrow could be a massive one for him to earn a regular place in the first team. 

His only competition, however, will be Ronald Araujo, who will be Flick’s alternative candidate to start at right-back.

An exit on a high

Only one international break remains ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer, and it kicks off after the upcoming matchday in La Liga.

Several Barcelona players have unsurprisingly been called up by their national teams for the upcoming hiatus, where every nation will be vying to zero in on their best setup ahead of the World Cup.

From the point of the club season, however, the break is also crucial given how it marks the beginning of the business end of the campaign.

Once Barcelona return from the break, they will face Atletico Madrid thrice in ten days in a period that will decide their fate not only in La Liga but also in the UEFA Champions League.

At that point, every game is a must-win, and there will be zero margin for error, making it vital that the club end on a high before they disperse for the break.

With the Madrid derby also played later in the day, at least one of their two trailing clubs will also drop points, making it all the more important that they take all three points against Rayo Vallecano.