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La Liga | Gameweek 27
Mar 9, 2019 at 5.30pm UK
 
Rayo Vallecano logo

3-1

Pique (38'), Messi (51' pen.), Suarez (82')
FT(HT: 1-1)
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Barca boss Valverde warns of Rayo threat as treble-chasers host LaLiga strugglers

Barca boss Valverde warns of Rayo threat as treble-chasers host LaLiga strugglers
© Reuters
The Catalan giants are seven points clear at the summit while Rayo are in the bottom two.

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has warned his players that Saturday's LaLiga opponents Rayo Vallecano will be no easy touch.

Relegation battlers Rayo will be bidding to halt a run of five straight league defeats when they travel to the Nou Camp, where league leaders Barca have lost only once this season.

Barca, on course for the treble, are on a high after back-to-back cup and league wins over arch-rivals Real Madrid, but Valverde insists Rayo will provide a tough challenge.

"The difficult thing is that any team in the first division can beat any other team," Valverde told a press conference. "Three points in the league these days are tough to get in any situation.

"We're coming towards the end of the season and this makes it even more so because there are less games to play and teams have to try and reach their objectives.

"They are fighting for the title, fighting relegation or fighting for a place in Europe.

"It's true Rayo are in a tough spot at the moment but let's not forget, towards the end of the season the teams at the bottom always pick up a lot of points and pull off surprises."

Barca, seven points clear at the top of the table, reached their sixth straight Cope del Rey final at Real's expense last week and returned to the Bernabeu three days later to secure three more league points.

Valverde's side will bid to reach the last eight of the Champions League when they take on Lyon next Wednesday having drawn 0-0 in France in the first leg.

"With regards to next week, we've got the Champions League and a victory (against Rayo) would be good for us as well," he added.

Rayo, second from bottom but just two points from safety, had won four and drawn one of their five games before their current losing run.

Manager Michel, appointed in February 2017 following the dismissal of Ruben Baraja, insisted he did not fear the sack.

"The important thing for me is to have the capacity to work and analyse my day to day," he told a press conference.

"What is not in my hands I do not know – the club has not shown me that I am in difficulties."

The 43-year-old, who spent a total of 17 years in three different spells as a player at Rayo, said he would rather be in charge of them than Barca.

"The Barca team is a team with world-class figures, but I prefer mine," he added.

"They have champions yes, but they have to win in the league too. Nobody gives anything and we are going there to compete."

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Barcelona players celebrate Ousmane Dembele's goal against Leganes in La Liga on January 20, 2019.
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona30214583295467
2Real Madrid30196563313263
3Atletico MadridAtletico30179449242560
4Athletic Bilbao301412446242254
5Villarreal29139751391248
6Real BetisBetis3013984137448
7Celta Vigo30127114443143
8Real Sociedad30125133032-241
9Rayo Vallecano301010103335-240
10Mallorca30117122937-840
11Getafe30109113025539
12Sevilla3099123441-736
13Osasuna3071493443-935
14GironaGirona3097143746-934
15Valencia30810123447-1334
16Espanyol2988133140-932
17AlavesAlaves3079143344-1130
18Leganes30610142947-1828
19Las PalmasLas Palmas3068163451-1726
20Real ValladolidValladolid3044221969-5016


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