FC Barcelona against Rayo Vallecano is the kind of fixture that looks straightforward on paper, but Rayo are a feisty, well-organised side in LaLiga that never makes life easy for anyone, including the Blaugrana. The head-to-head heavily favours Barcelona, but Rayo carry themselves with confidence regardless of the opposition and have caused upsets in this fixture before. The Blaugrana know they cannot switch off against a side that presses hard and defends with everything they have.
