Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano have confirmed their starting teams for their La Liga meeting at Camp Nou on Sunday.
The hosts are four points above second-placed Real Madrid and reached the Champions League semi-finals by thrashing visitors Newcastle 7-2 in their last-16 second leg on Tuesday, winning 8-3 on aggregate.
Vallecano are four points above the relegation zone with a game in hand on the bottom three and reached the last eight of the Conference League on Thursday despite a second-leg home defeat to Turkish side Samsunspor.
101GreatGoals.com has the line-up news from Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano in the 2025/26 La Liga, as well as details on how to watch.
How can something be this beautiful? pic.twitter.com/dPnlQcyAtx
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 22, 2026
Barcelona confirmed starting team vs Rayo Vallecano
Ronald Araujo replaced the injured Eric Garcia for Barcelona in the 22nd minute of the win over Newcastle and that change is replicated in the only amendment to Hansi Flick’s starting line-up.
Defenders Andreas Christensen (knee) and Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde (both hamstring) are injured for Barcelona.
Midfielder Frenkie de Jong also has a hamstring problem.
Barcelona starting XI: Joan García, Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Fermín Lopez, Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal
Barcelona substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Gavi, Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford, Marc Casado, Roony Bardghji, Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, Diego Kochen, Antonio Cortes, Fortuny Espart
Rayo Vallecano full line up vs Barcelona
Midfielder Diego Mendez is a long-term injury absentee for Rayo Vallecano and winger Ilias Akhomach (ankle) is out, having been a major doubt.
Defender Nobel Mendy serving a one-match ban.
Rayo Vallecano starting XI: Augusto Batalla, Andrei Ratiu, Pep Chavarria, Pedro Diaz, Pathe Ciss, Isi Palazon, Carlos Martin, Gerard Gumbau, Fran Perez, Oscar Valentin, Florian Lejeune
Rayo Vallecano substitutes: Dani Cardenas, Luiz Felipe, Alemao, Sergio Camello, Randy Nteka, Abdul Mumin, Unai Lopez, Alvaro Garcia, Jorge de Frutos, Ivan Balliu, Alfonso Espino, Jozhua Vertrouwd
Where to watch Barca vs Vallecano: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Sunday is at 13:00 GMT (08:00 ET / 05:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Premier Sports 1 and and streaming available on a vast range of devices via the Premier Sports app.
A Premier Sports subscription costs £120 a year, £11.99 per month on a 12-month contract or £16.99 per month with 30 days’ cancellation notice required.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano stats
- Barcelona have a perfect 13-match record at the Camp Nou since returning to their stadium
- They have won four successive La Liga games since a 2-1 defeat at Girona on February 16, most recently beating Sevilla 5-2 at home on March 15
- Flick’s team have scored at least three goals in each of their eight home matches in all competitions in 2026, including 12 across the last two
- Robert Lewandowksi’s two goals in the second leg against Newcastle put the striker 14th among Barca’s all-time scorers, netting 117 goals in three seasons to move level with Hristo Stoichkov
- Former Netherlands forward Patrick Kluivert (122) is the next player Lewandowski could overtake in those standings
- Only Real Oviedo (20), Getafe (25) and Alaves (26) have scored fewer La Liga goals this season than Rayo Vallecano (28), who have conceded the fewest (34) of any team outside the top eight
- Vallecano’s last Liga away win was a 3-0 victory at Levante on October 19, losing five and drawing three such games on the road since then
- They have drawn their last two Liga games on the road – 1-1 at Sevilla and Real Betis – and won six of their last nine away matches in the Copa del Rey and Conference League (L2 D1)
- Two of their trips to Barca in their history have resulted in wins, prevailing 1-0 in April 2022 and 2-0 in May 2000
- A 1-1 home draw in August was the first time Vallecano had avoided defeat in four meetings with Barca
- An unbeaten run in the five previous encounters (W3) had followed a sequence of 14 successive Barca victories in the fixture between May 2003 and January 2021
