Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano: Prediction, Tips and Odds

After Atletico and Real Madrid both dropped points on Saturday, Barcelona can go top of La Liga with victory at home against Rayo Vallecano on Monday.

Real's 1-1 draw at Osasuna and the same result for Atletico against Celta Vigo means Hansi Flick's side, who are currently third, can go above both of their title rivals if they pick up three points against Rayo.

Barca are looking for a fourth straight win in all competitions on Monday and they can extend their unbeaten run to 12 matches overall, while the visitors are also in good form with three wins on the spin going into their trip to the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano betting tips and prediction

Barcelona to win and both teams to score - 11/8

With the incentive of going to the summit in La Liga with a victory, Barca should deliver on Monday as they look to maintain their impressive form in 2025.

The Catalan giants have not lost since before the winter break on December 21, when they went down 2-1 against title rivals Atletico, and this year they have racked up nine wins and two draws in all competitions.

Not only did they finish second in the revamped UEFA Champions League table to comfortably seal a last-16 place, but they remain firmly in the hunt domestically and can move level on points with leaders Real if they see off Rayo.

However, Flick's men would go top due to their better head-to-head record against Los Blancos and a fourth successive league win surely looms.

Barca have hammered Valencia 7-1, ground out a 1-0 win over Alaves and easily overcome Sevilla 4-1 in their last three league outings and while in-form Rayo will likely be tricky opponents, the hosts can pick up another important win in their title quest.

The visitors have moved up to sixth in the table thanks to a nine-game unbeaten run of their own in La Liga and approach Monday's difficult clash on the back of three wins over Girona, Leganes and Real Valladolid, all secured by a single-goal margin.

Rayo have found the back of the net in each of their last 10 league games so they will be confident of at least getting on the scoresheet against Barca in what could end up being a tight clash, like the earlier meeting between the two sides which ended 2-1 in favour of the Blaugrana in August.

Raphinha to score anytime - 1/1

Raphinha has had a fine season for Barca, netting 24 goals in all competitions, with 13 of those strikes coming in La Liga.

The Brazilian scored the third in last week's 4-1 win at Sevilla and can add to his impressive haul on Monday.

Raphinha has been a constant menace for opposition defences in recent weeks and since the turn of the year has had 36 shots in 10 appearances in all competitions for Barca, with 16 of those attempts being on target.

Lamine Yamal - Over 1.5 shots on target - 1/1

Lamine Yamal is another of Barcelona's star performers this season as the 17-year-old has contributed with 11 goals and 15 assists across all games.

Yamal has had at least one shot on target in each of his last 10 appearances, registering two or more in five of those.

The chances of him having at least two attempts on target on Monday, therefore, seems high as he looks to inspire his side to an important victory.

Read more football betting tips and predictions on site

Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano odds

Barcelona - 1/5
Draw - 6/1
Rayo Vallecano - 11/1

View the full market and more odds for Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.