(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Barcelona Held to 1-1 Draw at Rayo Vallecano
Champions Barcelona dropped their first points of the La Liga 2025/26 season after a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
The Catalan side took the lead through a Lamine Yamal penalty, but Fran Perez equalized after the break, denying Barcelona a perfect start to the campaign. Despite the result, goalkeeper Joan Garcia was the standout for Barcelona, making several crucial saves to secure a point on a challenging night in Madrid.
Key Moments
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Barcelona’s Goal: In the 40th minute, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal converted a penalty after a collision with Pep Chavarria in the box. The penalty decision was contested by Rayo, and technical issues prevented a VAR review.
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Rayo’s Equalizer: Early in the second half, Fran Perez smashed home a header from a corner, leveling the score.
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Crucial Saves: Garcia denied Jorge de Frutos and Isi Palazon late in the match, keeping Barcelona in the game. Rayo’s Andrei Ratiu had a goal disallowed for offside.
Team News
Coach Hansi Flick made several changes, including the returns of Dani Olmo and Andreas Christensen to the starting line-up, while Marcus Rashford dropped to the bench. Despite these changes, Barcelona still showed some defensive vulnerabilities, similar to their previous weekend’s win over Levante.
Standings Update
Following this draw, Barcelona remain fourth in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by two points after the latter won their third consecutive match. Athletic Bilbao also continued their strong start with a win earlier on Sunday.
Despite the setback, Barcelona will aim to bounce back in their next La Liga fixture, hoping to maintain their push for another league title.
