Barcelona 1 – 0 Rayo Vallecano
Barcelona secured their fourth consecutive La Liga victory and extended their unbeaten run across all competitions this year.
Hansi Flick’s side dominated the match with relentless attacking play, creating numerous chances but failing to capitalize on most of them. However, one goal was enough to get the job done. With a win over Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona leapfrogged Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid to reclaim the top spot in La Liga for the first time in nearly two months.
The match at the Olympic Stadium on Monday night ended 1-0 in Barcelona’s favor. Robert Lewandowski’s first-half penalty proved to be the difference.
With Real and Atlético dropping points earlier this week, Barcelona had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the league table—and they made no mistake.
After 24 matches, Barcelona has 51 points from 16 wins and 3 draws, the same as Real Madrid. However, the Catalan side sits at the top due to their head-to-head advantage over the defending champions. Atlético Madrid, with 50 points, has dropped to third place.
Match Highlights
Barcelona had their first chance in the 4th minute when Raphinha sent in a cross from the left, but Lewandowski’s header went off target.
In the 20th minute, Raphinha had a great opportunity after a cut-back from Alejandro Balde, but his shot missed the mark. Three minutes later, the Brazilian forward broke into the box after a brilliant pass from Pedri, only for Rayo goalkeeper Dimitrievski to deny him.
Barcelona finally broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Lewandowski converted a penalty. The ball hit the post before finding the net. The penalty was awarded after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Barcelona defender Iñigo Martínez inside the Rayo box.
Lewandowski, currently La Liga’s top scorer, now has 20 goals in 23 matches—three more than second-placed Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé.
Just three minutes later, Lamin Yamal had a golden chance after a defensive error by Rayo, but Dimitrievski made a crucial save to keep the visitors in the game.
Barcelona’s defense was also tested. In the 37th minute, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny made a superb double save, first denying Nteka’s low shot before stopping Álvaro García’s close-range effort.
Rayo thought they had equalized in the 43rd minute when Jorge de Frutos found the net, but the goal was controversially disallowed. Though de Frutos wasn’t offside, Nteka—who didn’t touch the ball but appeared to block Barcelona defender Martínez—was ruled offside, leading to the decision.
Second Half
Lewandowski missed a big chance to double the lead in the 53rd minute, sending his low shot wide after a great pass from Pedri.
In the 60th minute, Yamal’s shot was blocked following a clever backheel flick from Héctor Fort inside the box.
Raphinha had another golden opportunity in the 72nd minute but sent his chip shot over the crossbar. In the 82nd minute, his powerful strike was once again stopped by Dimitrievski.
In stoppage time, de Frutos had a final chance to salvage a point for Rayo, but he failed to keep his header on target from a well-delivered cross.
With 35 points from 24 matches, Rayo Vallecano remains in sixth place.
