Seven goals. Eight on aggregate. A performance that had pundits reaching for superlatives. Barcelona's demolition of Newcastle United on Wednesday was the kind of result that makes Sunday's next opponents take a long, hard look at the fixture list and swallow hard.
Not Rayo Vallecano's coach Íñigo Pérez, apparently.
"We are not scared by Barcelona's seven goals against Newcastle," Pérez said in his pre-match press conference. The 33-year-old manager, one of La Liga's most quietly impressive coaches this season, knows his side goes to the Spotify Camp Nou as heavy underdogs — but also knows they have reasons to believe.
Rayo are unbeaten in their last six La Liga matches. They drew 1-1 with Barcelona in the reverse fixture earlier this season at Vallecas. And while they have not won an away match in their last eight attempts on the road, they have shown the ability to grind out results against better sides.
What they will be missing is Nobel Mendy, suspended after his red card against Levante. The Senegalese midfielder is one of Rayo's key figures in defensive transition — his absence will be felt particularly against the pace of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
For Barcelona, a win opens up a seven-point gap over Real Madrid before the Derbi Madrileño kicks off in the evening. Hansi Flick has both Joan García and Eric García available after their injury scares against Newcastle. The long-term absentees — Christensen, Koundé, Balde and Frenkie de Jong — all remain out. Kickoff is 1pm Sunday at the Spotify Camp Nou.