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Barcelona close out the third matchweek of La Liga action with a home clash against Rayo Vallecano on Monday evening.
Hansi Flick's consecutive top-flight title holders have gotten off to a flawless start this season, netting seven goals without conceding a single one. Barcelona lack a recognized center-forward and Lamine Yamal is going through a brief rough patch, yet things have kicked off rather promisingly.
The same cannot be said for Rayo Vallecano. Last season's Conference League runners-up parted ways with their inspirational head coach Iñigo Pérez, who departed for Villarreal during the summer, offloaded two key defensive players to the Premier League, and were even compelled to temporarily vacate their home ground following an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the surrounding area. The club's only two permanent signings have cost a combined $2.4 million — a figure that even this financially constrained version of Barcelona wouldn't need to worry about.
Against this grim backdrop, it comes as little surprise that Rayo have managed just a single point from their opening two league outings. It would be a massive shock to see them add to that tally when facing Barcelona.