Three talking points ahead of Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona

Barcelona are one of only two teams in La Liga to sit on two wins in two games so far. If that is not impressive enough, a look at the conditions in which they have achieved their wins provides further perspective.

Sitting proudly atop the league standings two games into the season, Hansi Flick and Co. will look to keep their momentum going tomorrow night as they face Rayo Vallecano in a tricky fixture.

Iñigo Pérez’s side won their opening game of the 2024-25 campaign against Real Sociedad away from home but could not repeat their success against Getafe a week later as they salvaged a goalless draw.

Handed the home advantage tomorrow night, the hosts will look to put pressure on the league leaders who still clearly have some gaping holes as depicted in previous games.

Needless to say, the road will only get harder for the new management as more of his tactics get revealed with every passing match-day.

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

Ferran Torres to make way?

Ferran Torres could give up his starting spot in the eleven to Fermin Lopez. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s performance against Athletic Club at the weekend gave Hansi Flick a handful of positives to take away as his side looked very comfortable on the field and as a unit.

Every player played his part well, some better than others, and it would be perfectly understandable if the manager opts to retain the same XI against Rayo Vallecano tomorrow.

If there is one piece that can be mixed up, however, it is the left-wing position where Ferran Torres has started in recent games.

The Spaniard was dismal in Barcelona’s first game against Valencia but stepped up significantly at the weekend where he chipped in with useful contributions against Athletic Club.

With Fermin Lopez back energized after a short break, however, Flick has a handy option to play in place of Torres and maximize the entropy in the final third and could thus consider handing the Olympic Gold medalist the start tomorrow night.

Riding on a good run of form in recent weeks, the Spanish midfielder will only potentiate Barcelona’s threat in front of goal and could present a gamble worth considering for the manager.

Conquering the Vallecas

After conquering Valencia at Mestalla and Athletic Club at home, Barcelona are back on the road for their third league game of the season.

The calendar now takes them to Madrid where they will take to the field at Estadi de Vallecas, a stadium that has haunted them in recent times.

Barcelona had a stronghold on the venue not too long ago and registered seven straight wins over Rayo Vallecano at the stadium between 2012 and 2021. The tables since then have turned.

When the two teams faced off at Vallecas in October 2021, the hosts ran away with a 1-0 win credit to a Radamel Falcao goal in the first half.

Their subsequent meeting in April 2023 once again saw Rayo take away a 2-1 win with Barcelona’s only solace being a late Robert Lewandowski strike.

Last year, the two teams played out a stale 1-1 draw at the venue. While Barcelona had the better chances, the then team under Francisco Rodríguez held their own defensively to split the points.

Now having not won at Vallecas in three games, Hansi Flick will look to undo Barcelona’s curse at the stadium, but it is clear that it will be far from simple.

Long-awaited debut

Olmo could make his FC Barcelona debut against Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images)

Barcelona broke the bank to sign Dani Olmo despite their relatively empty coffers, making the Spanish star their marquee signing for the summer.

Their wage bill, however, did not permit them to register him with La Liga sending the administration into panic mode.

With no option remaining, the club sold Ilkay Gündogan, Mikayil Faye, and Vitor Roque in a matter of days, only to find out that the three maneuvers together would not suffice. Olmo’s availability tomorrow, thus, was under a cloud of doubt.

As revealed earlier today, however, Barcelona are very close to registering the new signing with the help of the space generated by Andreas Christensen’s long-term injury. While the situation is shambolic, Olmo’s registration comes as massive news.

Finally likely to be available at Flick’s disposal, Olmo could make his debut for Barcelona tomorrow. He may well start on the bench but will almost certainly play his first minutes as a new Blaugrana against Rayo.

There is serious pressure on the new signing, especially after the club were forced to sell their best player from last season for his registration. It will thus be interesting to see how the Euro 2024 star handles the expectations.