The Catalans dropped crucial points upon their return to La Liga.
Rayo Vallecano held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in their La Liga game on Saturday. An uninspiring display from Xavi Hernandez’s side saw Rayo claim a draw on home soil.
What happened?
Barcelona struggled to find their feet in the game early on as Rayo pushed for a surprise opener. The hosts came close to scoring several times before Unai Lopez finally made it 1-0 in the 39th minute. The Rayo midfielder drilled a brilliant half-volley into the right corner of the box to put the hosts ahead.
The Catalans pushed hard to score the opener at the beginning of the second period. But Rayo kept them at bay with a combination of solid defending and quick counter-attacks. Barca finally got back into the game when Florian Lejeune’s own goal made it 1-1 for the visitors in the 82nd minute. However, the Catalans seemed too exhausted to complete their comeback after the equalizer.
Player Ratings
Rayo Vallecano: Dimitrievski (7), Balliu (6), Mumin (7), Lejeunde (5), Espino (6), Palazon (7), U. Lopez (7), Valentin (7), Frutos (5), Camello (6), Trejo (6).
Bench: Bebe (6), Perez (6), Ciss (6), Falcao (5), Ratiu (5).
Barcelona: Pena (6), Cancelo (7), Christensen (7), I. Martinez (7), Balde (6), Romeu (6), De Jong (5), Yamal (7), Pedri (7), Torres (6), Lewandowski (6).
Bench: Gundogan (7), Felix (6), Lopez (6), Raphinha (7).
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