Barça returns to the League with significant losses and visiting one of the most demanding teams in the championship. And Rayo de Francisco is a dynamic team that presses very well. One of those teams that will undoubtedly demand a better version of Barça. Here are my tactical keys for this match:
Xavi will not be able to count on Gavi. Neither today nor in the remainder of the season. And with this, the team loses an irreplaceable footballer. In addition, we must add the important and well-known loss of Marc André Ter Stegen. One of the three most decisive footballers on the team. Turn for Iñaki Peña who has not entered competition for a long time. And that is the main limitation of a good goalkeeper, with a lot of positioning ability and who is capable of occupying the Barça goal when the situation demands it. But two months later, a capital player returns, Frenkie De Jong. And if it was already known that he is a vital footballer for Barça, these matches of football doubts have increased this conviction. And the midfielder is a fundamental piece acting as a support pivot in the way of playing that Xavi wants. He perfectly covers the responsibilities that the coach seeks for the lower part of the midfield square and provides enormous continuity to the game (with an average of 100 passes per game, he is the player who gives the most passes in the League). The new reality will pass through the tone of the Dutch.
It will be a test for the release of the Barça ball. With a total of 673 in the 14 games played, Rayo is the sixth team in the championship that recovers the most balls and the fifth team that spends the most time in the opponent's field (32% of match play). After Barça's performance in San Sebastián (they had a lot of difficulty shaking off the pressure), it will be important for the team to regain solvency in an aspect of the game that Xavi's Barça had improved substantially since his arrival.
The most optimal entry side for the Barça interests will be on the right side. That is, facing the left wing of Rayo. And Pacha Espino is a winger who attacks much better than he defends. In fact, he is passed an average of twice per game. Furthermore, precisely for this reason, Francisco's team shifts the game a lot to its left (39%). Something that shows that it is a sector in which the Blaugranas have to address or deepen. Girona created most of their goals there and Barça has to exploit it.
Rayo is a super vertical team in Vallecas. His possessions are fast and aimed at making things happen. In their own field they do not expose the ball much and want to reach another's field in the most agile way possible. Defensively, it is also a very intense team that responds to any stimulus. A team that usually pushes its opponents to the limit and tends to push them to haste. So one of the most important things this afternoon will be that Barça doesn't do it. There are going to be many moments in which the Blaugranas will have to realize that it is best to pause the game to impose their game. An exercise that is not easy to do but will be essential.
Rayo will have the important loss of Álvaro García this afternoon. Even so, they have players who can easily create danger. The first of them is Isi, an electric, skilled player with a goal. One of his recurring plays in Vallecas is the inside diagonals with the ball to end with very intentional long shots. He is the Rayo player who shoots the most and, pay attention, because 63% of his shots hit the goal. On the other hand, we must talk about Trejo. The 35-year-old midfielder is pure quality. You have to enjoy his game for as long as you have left. And finally, Sergio Camello stands out, a very dynamic forward, who moves well, who presses excellently and who never stops generating space for the second line. He has very good diagonals to space. Something that in today's context can create doubts. It will be necessary for Barça to score and communicate a lot.
