Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona live stream: La Liga prediction, TV channel, where to watch online, odds

Barcelona hope to continue their impressive start to the season when they take on Rayo Vallecano in a midweek La Liga clash on Tuesday.

Hansi Flick’s side are one of three La Liga teams to have won both their opening games, but if they win they have a chance of taking over top spot by the end of the day at this early stage of the season, as neither Villarreal nor Celta Vigo have won their third game. They will take on a Rayo team that is unbeaten since the start of the season and could include a new face in James Rodriguez, who joined the club on Monday just weeks after winning the best player award at the Copa America. They may not be the only newcomers on Tuesday, as Barcelona are hoping to give Euro champion Denny Omo his debut.

Here’s everything you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch and odds

• date: Tuesday, August 27 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Place: Campo de Futbol de Vallecas – Madrid, Spain
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• odds: Rayo Vallecano +480; Draw +290; Barcelona -175

Story

Everything has gone very well for Flick so far in his first competitive games as Barcelona manager, leading his side to two dominant league wins. They look in good stead right now, boasting high possession and passing numbers in their first few games as expected, as well as scoring four goals on 31 shots and 5.05 expected goals between those two games. Flick’s side are yet to keep a clean sheet, recording consecutive 2-1 wins at the start of the season, but it’s unclear if that will be something that will happen during the campaign.

However, as usual, the big story at the end of the summer for Barcelona is less about on-field performances and more about the off-field transfer saga. Days after unexpectedly sacking Ilkay Gundogan after just one season at the club, Barcelona have cleared the way to register Olmo, their marquee signing of the summer. However, Olmo is managing to make it onto the roster thanks to a small loophole allowing La Liga teams to replace injured players. He will replace Andreas Christiansen, who has suffered an Achilles injury that will keep him out for up to a month.

According to The Athletic, if La Liga gives Barcelona the green light, Olmo will be registered until the end of 2024 and Christensen’s registration won’t be affected. However, this situation is another example of Barcelona’s volatile game of roster Tetris that shows no signs of slowing down amid their years-long financial struggles.

Prediction

Olmo will undoubtedly make Barcelona better, but even if he can’t arrive in time to face Rayo, the team has everything it needs to win a third consecutive La Liga game. choose: Rayo Vallecano 1, Barcelona 2