Two clubs in opposite halves of the Liga BBVA table will do battle today in a league match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano. The first-division clash scheduled for 7 a.m. ET will be held at the Nou Camp in Barcelona and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
What They're Saying
Barcelona midfielder Rafinha (via Inside Spanish Football): "We've just been getting better and better. There hasn't been any real changes, but things have been going better. The more comfortable we are in games, the better it is for us."
Rayo Vallecano midfielder Jozabed Sanchez Ruiz (via Inside Spanish Football): "Barcelona are difficult. They share the same characteristics as our playing philosophy and there's no changing it, regardless of the opponent. We'll try to make things difficult for them however we can."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: With Sergio Busquets out due to injury, Barcelona turn to Javier Mascherano in defensive midfield. In 19 league appearances, the 30-year-old is averaging 3.4 tackles and 1.9 interceptions.
Barcelona's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Bravo; Alba, Mathieu, Piqué, Alves; Rakitic, Mascherano, Iniesta; Pedro, Suarez, Messi
Rayo Vallecano's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alvarez; Nacho, Amaya, Morcillo, Tito; Trashorras, Fatau; Kakuta, Bueno, Lica; Baptistao
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 | Real Madrid CF | 26 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 75 | 24 | 51 | 61 | |||
| 2 | FC Barcelona | 25 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 70 | 15 | 55 | 59 | |||
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 25 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 50 | 22 | 28 | 54 | |||
| 4 | Valencia CF | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 45 | 21 | 24 | 53 | |||
| 5 | Sevilla FC | 26 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 46 | 33 | 13 | 49 | |||
| 6 | Villarreal CF | 25 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 39 | 23 | 16 | 45 | |||
| 7 | Málaga CF | 26 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 30 | -1 | 41 | |||
| 8 | Athletic Club | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 31 | -8 | 33 | |||
| 9 | Celta de Vigo | 25 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 32 | |||
| 10 | RCD Espanyol | 25 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 32 | 36 | -4 | 32 | |||
| 11 | Rayo Vallecano | 25 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 28 | 43 | -15 | 29 | |||
| 12 | Real Sociedad | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 28 | 36 | -8 | 27 | |||
| 13 | Eibar | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 36 | -10 | 27 | |||
| 14 | Elche CF | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 45 | -22 | 27 | |||
| 15 | Getafe CF | 25 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 22 | 35 | -13 | 26 | |||
| 16 | Deportivo La Coruña | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 42 | -19 | 25 | |||
| 17 | Levante UD | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 49 | -26 | 25 | |||
| 18 | UD Almería | 26 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 40 | -18 | 24 | |||
| 19 | Granada CF | 26 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 40 | -23 | 22 | |||
| 20 | Córdoba CF | 25 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 39 | -21 | 18 |
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