Barcelona – Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona is likely to register a thrashing victory

Barcelona open the new season on Saturday 13 August. The Catalans host Rayo Vallecano at home. Xavi's team have had a historic transfer campaign. The Catalans now have at least two stars in almost every position in their attack. Just look at the competition for the centre-back position, which includes Lewandowski, Aubameyang and last season's top scorer Depay. The situation on the flanks of the attack is similar. Ousmane Dembele and Rafinha, for example, claim the same place. There are no excuses for Xavi now. The team are expected to have a special season with victories in several tournaments. In training matches, Barcelona looked good in places, although there was no talk of total dominance. The Catalans beat their opponents in modest style. Real Madrid beat MLS club New York by a narrow margin with two goals. Juventus, on the other hand, were defeated 2-2. In the final match, Barcelona thrashed Pumas, but it was an unlikely encounter. The gap in class was too wide. The Mexicans were thrashed 0-6, while managing to concede four goals in nineteen minutes. Any La Liga club is significantly stronger than Pumas, so it's certainly not worth projecting the result onto Rayo Vallecano. The Spanish outsider's organisation is on a different level. "The Bees left a double impression last season. They fought for European competitions in the first half of the championship, but then there was a total collapse. In terms of results in the second half, Rayo were the worst performers in many statistical indicators. There was a period of almost three months without a single win. Rayo Vallecano have strengthened relatively well. Importantly, all the players have come in for free. The focus is on experienced performers. The 40-year-old goalkeeper Diego Lopez, experienced winger Salvi Sanchez and the main transfer is central defender Lejeune, known for his performances in the APL. Rayo remain one of the main contenders for relegation. Rayo pestered the Catalans to no end during last season. "The Bees managed to win both matches. If the first game took place in October, when Barça were in a dismantled state, the second game was already under Xavi. In two matches, Barça failed to score a single goal against their opponents. There is much less chance of a sensation now, given the grande's new line-up. Importantly, Barcelona now have effectively two motivated teams. That means a big win in the first game is very likely. Rayo did not get stronger over the summer, the club is probably closer to exactly the versionof themselves they had last season.