LaLiga Matchday 31: Buoyant Barca visit Rayo

Buoyant Barcelona are edging towards the title and Rayo Vallecano are next in the Catalans' firing line. 

Xavi's men have an 11-point advantage at LaLiga's summit, though Real Madrid could reduce that gap by beating Girona this evening. 

Elsewhere, Real Betis can close in on fellow top-four chasers Real Sociedad with victory in Seville, while Atletico Madrid will be looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat at Barca by beating Mallorca. 

And there is plenty on the line at both ends of the table when Villarreal host Espanyol at El Madrigal.

Game of the week: Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona (Wednesday, 9pm)

Sunday's 1-0 win against in-form Atletico will have boosted spirits at the Camp Nou, following back-to-back draws for the Blaugrana. 

But they will need to be wary of Rayo, having dropped points when the teams played out a 0-0 draw on the season's opening weekend. 

Los Franjirrojos' form has tailed off dramatically in recent weeks, however — picking up just one win from their last 10 league fixtures. 

With Barca last tasting defeat in LaLiga back in February, they will fancy their chances of triumphing in the capital.

Girona vs Real Madrid (Tuesday, 6.30pm)

Real Madrid will not be resting on their laurels in Catalonia after drawing 1-1 with mid-table Girona earlier this season. 

Carlo Ancelotti's men will also be acutely aware that tonight's hosts have only lost once in five LaLiga outings — picking up victories over Espanyol and Elche during that run. 

However, Los Blancos are in impressive form themselves, with four consecutive wins in all competitions. 

Marco Asensio has been a key figure across those fixtures, having found the net against Chelsea, Cadiz and Celta Vigo in the last fortnight.

Real Betis vs Real Sociedad (Tuesday, 9pm)

Inconsistency has plagued both Real Betis and Real Sociedad in recent weeks — but tonight's hosts will need to win this crunch clash if they are to secure Champions League football for next season. 

Los Verdiblancos sit six points behind their Basque opponents and are running out of time to close the gap on Imanol Alguacil's outfit. 

They will be boosted by memories of their meeting in October, though, when goals from Juan Cruz and talisman Borja Iglesias saw Betis secure a 2-0 triumph at the Reale Arena. 

A similar outcome this evening would blow LaLiga's top-four race wide open.

Atletico Madrid vs Mallorca (Wednesday, 6.30pm)

Sunday's defeat to Barca ended Atletico's recent hot streak, so they will be anxious to return to winning ways against Mallorca. 

Diego Simeone's side sit comfortably in third place ahead of this encounter, having won six LaLiga matches on the bounce before last weekend. 

But Atleti will need to pay close attention to Los Piratas star Lee Kang-In, who put in a sensational showing against Getafe on Matchday 30. 

The South Korean forward netted a brace — his eighth and ninth goal contributions of the campaign — as Mallorca ran out 3-1 winners in Palma.

Villarreal vs Espanyol (Thursday, 6.30pm)

Thursday night's match-up between Villarreal and Espanyol will have implications for both the race for Europe and LaLiga's relegation battle. 

The hosts can make up ground in their quest for the top four by beating Luis Garcia's team, while the Periquitos could climb out of the drop zone with a victory. 

Villarreal have lost back-to-back games, though that pales in comparison with Espanyol's poor form — they have suffered defeat in six of their last seven fixtures. 

Frontman Joselu may be the visitors' best chance of claiming a surprise triumph. Only three players have scored more goals in Spain's top tier this term, though he has not found the net in five outings.

The week's other games

Cadiz vs Osasuna (Tuesday, 6.30pm) 

Getafe vs Almeria (Wednesday, 6.30pm) 

Celta Vigo vs Elche (Wednesday, 9pm) 

Valencia vs Real Valladolid (Thursday, 6.30pm)

Athletic Bilbao vs Sevilla (Thursday, 9pm)

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