Two clubs in the top half of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona. The first-division clash scheduled for 12 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio de Vallecas in Vallecas and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique had this to offer ahead of today's league encounter (via Inside Spanish Football): "Every game serves a purpose for us. I'm sure it will be a very different game to the one in Paris, but Rayo will be trying to push us hard. They're a team that I admire because they are very thorough and they make life difficult for every team they face. They often go through big changes, but always remain true to their ideas. I'm a fan of Rayo and [manager] Paco Jémez."
"He conveys his footballing ideas very well and it results in a playing style that I like to see," he added. "I can identify with him in some ways. He's been doing a great job there for a number of seasons, and I think he's qualified to manage at a big team in the future."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Rayo Vallecano's Gael Kakuta has been instrumental in the club's early season success. The 23-year-old has two goals in six appearances and is averaging two take-ons per match.
Rayo Vallecano's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Toño; Tito, Zé Castro, Abdoulaye, Insua; Baena, Trashorras; Bueno, Licá, Kakuta; Baptistao
Barcelona's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Alba, Mathieu, Mascherano, Dani Alves; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Messi, Pedro
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 16 | |||
| 2 | Valencia CF | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 14 | |||
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 14 | |||
| 4 | Sevilla FC | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 13 | |||
| 5 | Real Madrid CF | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 6 | Celta de Vigo | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 12 | |||
| 7 | Villarreal CF | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |||
| 8 | Eibar | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Rayo Vallecano | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 8 | |||
| 10 | UD Almería | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | |||
| 11 | Granada CF | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 8 | |||
| 12 | Getafe CF | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 7 | |||
| 13 | RCD Espanyol | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 6 | |||
| 14 | Málaga CF | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 6 | |||
| 15 | Real Sociedad | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 5 | |||
| 16 | Athletic Club | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 | |||
| 17 | Córdoba CF | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 4 | |||
| 18 | Deportivo La Coruña | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 4 | |||
| 19 | Elche CF | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 4 | |||
| 20 | Levante UD | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 12 | -11 | 4 |
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