SM
Sports Mole words bigger AMP 2
Man City vs. Real Madrid: 3 hrs 57 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
BL
Barcelona logo
La Liga | Gameweek 27
Mar 9, 2019 at 5.30pm UK
 
RV
Rayo Vallecano logo

3-1

Pique (38'), Messi (51' pen.), Suarez (82')
FT(HT: 1-1)
de Tomas (24')

Barca boss Valverde warns of Rayo threat as treble-chasers host LaLiga strugglers

:Headline: Barca boss Valverde warns of Rayo threat as treble-chasers host LaLiga strugglers: ID:352759: from db_amp
The Catalan giants are seven points clear at the summit while Rayo are in the bottom two.
Barca boss Valverde warns of Rayo threat as treble-chasers host LaLiga strugglers

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."

amp_article__352759 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-03-08 18:28:29:
html db last update - 2019-03-08 18:28:29 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Ernesto Valverde

Click here for more stories about Barcelona

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid23155351222950
2Atletico MadridAtletico23147238152349
3Barcelona23153564253948
4Athletic Bilbao23128336201644
5Villarreal23117546341240
6Rayo Vallecano239862724335
7Real Sociedad2394102020031
8GironaGirona2394103133-231
9Osasuna2371062832-431
10Mallorca2394102029-931
11Real BetisBetis237882731-429
12Celta Vigo2384113437-328
13Sevilla237792534-928
14Getafe236981817127
15Las PalmasLas Palmas2365122838-1023
16Espanyol2365122235-1323
17Leganes2358101932-1323
18Valencia2357112437-1322
19AlavesAlaves2356122535-1021
20Real ValladolidValladolid2343161548-3315
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .