Barça faces this weekly day visiting a very difficult field, Vallecas. A field where, for example, Madrid has lost. So the Catalans will need to show their best version to win. Here my tactical keys for this good game:
Busquets' loss and Xavi's untouchable pattern of play with the inside square mean that tonight the shared pivot position will most likely be for the Dutchman and the Ivorian. An unprecedented couple until today and that will have a lot of importance tonight. Both to overcome the pressure, and to stop the high mobility of the Lightning. The other possibility, much less probable, is to place Pedri in the lower part of the square.
Today it will be essential to apply moments of tranquility with the ball during the match. Otherwise, the meeting will break very soon becoming a constant round trip. A scenario that would not favor Barça, since it would equalize the forces and avoid applying Barca's qualitative superiority. And while it is true that this is the job of the entire team, the main culprits will be the midfielders. But Barça has an extra that it did not have a few weeks ago: Pedri's. His role will be essential for the Barça team to impose this necessary break.
Rayo is the fifth team in the League in terms of shots (13.2 per game, because it promotes a game with a lot of finishing and because it has players with great shots (Isi, Trejo, Álvaro and Fran García). In fact, they have scored many goals For this reason, it will be very important that Barça's midfielders and defenders are attentive to quickly reduce spaces with respect to Rayo's potential shooters, which are several, especially Isi Palazón, who has a spectacular mid-foot shot with his left foot. .
It is almost certain that Barça will play most of the game moments in the rival field against a team with a very fast rival second line of entry. In addition, a team that really likes to throw breaking marks into space. Therefore, it will be essential for the Barça defense to be clear when to defend vertically (forward to anticipate) and when to gain meters backwards to follow this type of action. And it is that this has been a movement that, typically, has hurt the Barça team in their last visits here.
Of the main dangers for Iraola's team, we must put Isi Palazón in first place. The skilful winger is very vertical every time he intervenes and has a very level left foot. With eight goals and five assists, he is, at the same time, the top scorer and the top assisted player. Apart from Isi, highlight Álvaro García and Oscar Trejo, two other offensively dangerous footballers. The first is very fast and a specialist breaking behind rival defenses and, the second, he is the most creative footballer. A pure midfielder. They accumulate four and three goals respectively.
