Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona Betting Tips [27 January 2021]

Barcelona took the long road to this stage of the Copa del Rey as they needed extra-time to defeat Cornella in the last round. The Blaugrana missed two penalties in the game but they are through to the round of 16 nonetheless and hoping to go all the way again. Barcelona made it to six straight finals between 2014 and 2019 winning four Copa del Rey’s in a row during that period but they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage last season. A 2-0 win over Elche on Sunday was Barcelona’s 4th league win in succession but they remain 10 points off Atletico Madrid at the top of the table having played a game more so Champions League qualification is perhaps the height of their ambitions in La Liga. The only blemish on their recent record was a Super Cup final defeat to Athletic Bilbao in extra-time just over a week ago. Inaki Williams scored in the 93rd minute in a final which saw Leo Messi given the first red card of his career. Nonetheless, they have won nine of their last 12 games (two after extra-time) and have won six games in a row away from home.  

As for Rayo Vallecano, they have had to win three games just to make it this far. They defeated Tercara Division outfit Teruel 3-2 in the second round before seeing off Haro Deportivo of Segunda Division B. In the last round, they got past La Liga club Elche winning 2-0 which was the score-line when Barcelona defeated Elche on Sunday. Rayo had won five games in succession before falling to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Mallorca at the weekend. That loss also ended a four-game winning run at home for Vallecano but Barcelona have won on each of their last six visits to this ground since 2012 scoring 26 times in those games.