Barcelona’s flawless start to the La Liga season came to an end as Rayo Vallecano held them to a 1-1 draw at Estadio de Vallecas.
Lamine Yamal put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot five minutes before halftime, marking the third successive away fixture for Barcelona following wins at Mallorca and Levante.
However, Rayo fought back in the second half, with Fran Pérez scoring his first goal since joining from Valencia to secure a deserved point for the hosts.
Barcelona owed their point largely to an exceptional display from goalkeeper Joan García, who pulled off a series of impressive saves after being overlooked by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente this week.
“I said congrats. It’s great to see how it works with him, also with the ball he’s very…it’s good to see in the first pass,” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised. “He makes no mistakes today really. He has the confidence with the ball and between the posts. I think it was the right decision to sign him.”
The match began with Barcelona controlling proceedings on a patchy pitch, with Yamal firing straight at Augusto Batalla and Raphina narrowly missing after capitalizing on a misplaced back pass.
Yet, Rayo’s direct style soon caused problems. After 12 minutes, Álvaro García delivered a perfect cross to Andrei Ratiu six yards out, only for Joan García to make a stunning save.
Rayo continued to press with intensity, forcing Barcelona into several risky clearances. Joan García also denied Isi Palazón at close range and tipped Luiz Felipe’s header just under the bar.
Barcelona had their moments, too. Batalla smothered Dani Olmo’s low 30-yard free-kick before Yamal earned a penalty when Pep Chavarría blocked his drive with his thigh. VAR was unavailable to review the decision, leaving Rayo fans frustrated.
“I’m ashamed of my reaction on the touchlines after the penalty was awarded,” Rayo coach Iñigo Pérez admitted. “It was the result of frustration. Referees make mistakes and that’s okay. What bothers me is that today the players have five minutes of VAR and five minutes without it. It influences the players, the assistants. It’s a different game. I’m annoyed by the lack of efficiency with these things. Maybe it’s our club’s fault, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.”
Yamal calmly sent Batalla the wrong way to open the scoring. Barcelona came close to extending their lead before halftime, with Olmo firing over from six yards after Batalla had blocked Yamal’s attempt to Jules Koundé.
After the restart, Rayo intensified their pressure. Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute as Palazón delivered a deep corner, leaving Pérez unmarked at the six-yard box to volley past García and into the net.
Barcelona responded by introducing Marcus Rashford and Chelsea-linked Fermín López, but Rayo remained dangerous.
Palazón sent De Frutos through on goal, only for Joan García to make a crucial one-on-one save. Later, Pérez’s follow-up attempt was denied again, leaving the hosts with a well-earned point.
