Rayo Vallecano (11th, 3pts) vs FC Barcelona (3rd, 6pts)*
*Standings at the time of writing
Competition/Round: 2025-26 La Liga, Matchday 3
Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Marc-André ter Stegen, Gavi, Oriol Romeu, Héctor Fort (out), Roony Bardghji (doubt)
Rayo Vallecano Outs & Doubts: Abdul Mumin (out), Nobel Mendy (doubt)
Date/Time: Sunday, August 31, 2025, 9.30pm CET (Barcelona), 8.30pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 3.30pm ET, 12.30pm PT (USA), 1am IST (India, Sunday)
Venue: Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain
Referee: Mateo Busquets Ferrer
VAR: Javier Iglesias Villanueva
How to watch on TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), Premier Sports 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), others
How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), LaLigaTV (UK), FanCode (India), DAZN (Spain), others
Following a dramatic comeback victory over Levante to win their second straight game to begin the La Liga season last weekend, Barcelona return to action for their third and final match before the first international break of the campaign as the reigning champions face Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas Stadium on Sunday Night Fútbol.
Barça come into this one looking for a perfect end to their first month with three wins out of three, a notable achievement given all three opening games have been on the road. The calendar will get very busy after the break as the Champions League begins, so having all nine points from the first three matches is crucial ahead of what is always a crazy September and October schedule in Spain.
But beyond the result, Barça need to play a better game this time: as good as the second half against Levante was and as strong as they looked while Mallorca had 11 men in the season opener, the Blaugrana haven’t put together 90 minutes of solid, consistent football on either end, and will be looking to be sharper with and without the ball in this one.
Rayo away is always difficult, and for good reason: over the last half-decade the team with the iconic red sash have always been well-coached with good talent in all areas and a really good home record, and games against Barça in Madrid are always tight and really competitive.
Last season’s clash in Vallecas also took place in Matchday 3 of the season and Barça needed a brilliant debut performance by Dani Olmo to make a second half comeback and escape the capital with all three points. We shouldn’t expect anything other than another tight and difficult game, especially with the tragic conditions of the pitch that have both coaches concerned for the quality of the football and the players’ safety.
Even though Barça need to play a better game to increase their confidence, they might not be allowed to given how good Rayo are and how bad the pitch is. This might very well turn out to be one of those games that you just want to survive without injuries and move on with three points in the bag.
Rayo are tough and attack-minded, and Barça need to be ready for a real challenge.
Let’s dance.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Ferran
Rayo (4-2-3-1): Batalla; Ratiu, Lejeune, Felipe, Chavarría; Ciss, López; Isi, Díaz, García; De Frutos
PREDICTION
The pitch is terrible, Rayo are really good, and Barça usually struggle there. I expect another tight encounter between these two, but I’ll still bet on the good guys to find a way: 2-1 Barça.
