Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano | La Liga GW 24 | OneFootball

Not many teams could put the brakes on Hansi Flick’s Barcelona in the opening weeks of La Liga as the team began clicking very early on. One opponent who made them work hard for the three points, however, was Rayo Vallecano.

When the two teams met earlier this season at Estadio Vallecas, Unai Lopez handed the hosts an early lead that they preserved through the first half.

A Pedri goal brought Barcelona level at the hour mark and only a late goal from Dani Olmo on his debut sealed the deal for the Blaugrana.

Tomorrow, the same opponents take to the field against Barcelona at Montjuic with three wins in their last three games. They are flying high in La Liga and are in sixth place after 23 games with 35 points.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano.

Rested and raring to go

The 2024-25 calendar for Barcelona has been ruthless, giving players little to no time between games.

Right from the beginning of the campaign, the Blaugrana have been playing close to two games every week and it is clear that the schedule was gruelling for players.

While Hansi Flick’s men began the season flying, it soon became clear that it was the hectic schedule and the lack of rest that caused their eventual collapse towards the end of the year and it is no surprise they returned better after the Christmas break.

Barcelona played their previous game against Sevilla last weekend and came up with a 4-1 win away from home playing over half an hour with a man less.

Now, they return to the field over seven days later in what may be their longest interval between two games all season.

To get a week off amid the ongoing hectic calendar is nothing short of a boon and one can thus expect Barcelona to come out all guns blazing tomorrow with fresh legs and a rejuvenated mind.

The positive dilemma

Gavi or Olmo as the No. 10? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Hansi Flick has had a few selection dilemmas to deal with in recent weeks, especially with the likes of Inigo Martinez and Dani Olmo suffering mild injuries.

The former is back fit and may well return to the starting lineup tomorrow against Rayo Vallecano alongside Pau Cubarsi.Yet, the attacking midfield dilemma remains a puzzle to solve for the manager, albeit a good problem to have.

Since the start of 2025, Gavi has had the upper hand over Olmo in the No. 10 role but the youngster was far from his best against Sevilla and was hooked off for Fermin Lopez after the break.

Lopez made an instant impact and showed why he is a strong contender to start, but was soon sent off and is thus unavailable tomorrow as he serves his suspension.

Olmo, meanwhile, came on in the 70th minute of Barcelona’s last game and made a solid impact off the bench and even had a part to play in Eric Garcia’s fourth goal.

Tomorrow night, it thus remains to be seen if Flick prefers deploying Olmo or Gavi. Given that Rayo Vallecano are not a side to sit deep and defend, he may prefer Gavi for his defensive contributions over Olmo who is vital for closed defences.

A chance to return to the top

The La Liga title race this season has been one of the most exciting races to follow in Europe with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid all fighting neck-to-neck.

The Catalans began the season strong and looked to be the undisputed favorites, but their year-end slump coincided with Real Madrid who went on a winning spree and solidified themselves as the leaders on the table.

While Los Blancos went as high as ten points ahead of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid also rose rapidly and followed Real Madrid closely, and it seemed Hansi Flick’s men had lost the plot.

The past month, however, has seen the Catalans slowly close the gap on their rivals and tomorrow night they have a chance to retake the lead on the table.

Matchday 24 of La Liga, after all, has been highly exciting and controversial with Real Madrid drawing against Osasuna after having Jude Bellingham sent off and Atletico Madrid drawing against Celta Vigo after having Pablo Barrios sent off.

Real Madrid currently sit on 51 points with Los Rojiblancos at 50 and Barcelona at 48. A win tomorrow will thus Barcelona clear of Real Madrid on goal difference and into the top spot, marking the latest twist in the title race.