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La Liga

Oct 17, 2015 at 7.30pm UK

Barcelona
5-2
Rayo Vallecano

Neymar (22' pen., 32' pen., 69', 70'), Suarez (77')

FT(HT: 2-1)

Guerra (15'), Jozabed (86')

Luis Farina: 'Lionel Messi's absence helps us'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 07 October 2015

Rayo Vallecano midfielder Luis Farina admits that his team will look to capitalise on Barcelona's loss of Lionel Messi when they meet in La Liga on October 17.

Rayo Vallecano midfielder Luis Farina has admitted that his team will look to capitalise on Barcelona's loss of Lionel Messi when the pair meet in La Liga after the international break.

Barca will enter the clash off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla and without Messi, who is out of action until late November with knee ligament damage.

Farina has paid tribute to the Catalan side's strength in-depth, but has said that Messi's absence hands the capital team a chance.

"With the players Barca have it's always going to be difficult but we want to go and win every game we play," Farina told Rayo's official site.

"Barca have plenty of players despite their injury problems. It's true Messi makes a big difference and if he's not there it will help us a little bit.

"We go there after the break and after they lost to Sevilla, and you don't know if that's a good or bad thing. What we are clear about is that we'll go there for three points."

Rayo have collected seven points from their first seven games of the new La Liga season.