When FC Barcelona host Rayo Vallecano this weekend, it won’t be all that meaningful a match. It wasn’t initially meant to be newsworthy, but now the Xavi saga has featured yet another plot twist. In mid-season, Xavi was to be let go at the end of this term. But then the two sides mended fences and reached common ground, so he was set to stay on beyond this summer.
Or so it seemed. Now he might get sacked again.
FC Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday May 19, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Barca Preview Material:ย ย Team Newsย ย ย ย Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Rayo Vallecanoย 15th, 38 pts, WDLLWย FC Barcelona 2nd,ย 79 pts, WWLWL
Google Result Probability:ย Rayo Vallecanoย 8%ย ย Drawย 15%ย ย FC Barcelona 77%
Well, there are only two games left to figure it out guys, so bring us some closure either way! Barcelona B team manager Rafael Marquez is the favorite to take over as manager, should Xavi get jettisoned. Here is what we think his lineup will be, by the way,
FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction vs Rayo Vallecano
Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo; Pedri, Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu; Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor ofย The Sports Bank.ย Heโs also theย author of โTransatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,โ andย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.โ
He currently contributes toย Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMGโs NFL Wire Networkย and theย Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.ย His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated,ย Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times.ย You can follow himย on Linked In and Twitter.
