The same stone again. Again in Vallecas. Again with 45 sterile minutes. Another bad first half penalized a Barcelona that lacks continuity in its dominance and in its idea. The games choke him. The spirit of Gavi did not appear on Payaso Fofó street, beyond the rebellion of a competitive team that refuses to lose the title. The team is not working, not even with Frenkie de Jong on the field the entire game, and Rayo, who already stopped Madrid and had the leader, Girona, on the ropes, also blurred Barcelona, ??who as a lesser evil took a spot. The final reaction of each day was not enough this time. Xavi still hasn’t beaten the Vallecanos.
Xavi chose a midfield formed by De Jong, Pedri and Oriol Romeu, three footballers who had stayed in the sports city for 13 days and with whom he had been able to work. But far from seeing a more recognizable Barça and a better positional game, the Blaugrana team once again seemed at the mercy of a moment of inspiration, little greased, beyond the first play of the center kick, which was once again rehearsed, with a long delivery for Lewandowski’s head on the right. It didn’t go well but at least it didn’t end in a goal for the rival like against Alavés.
Rayo’s motto was clear to try to play with Iñaki Peña’s nerves in his debut as a starter in the League and Isi, the smartest of the Vallecanos, sought to tickle him with a shot that the goalkeeper, who was settling down, had to stop in three times.
De Jong’s reappearance was eagerly awaited at Barcelona because the shine faded with the Dutchman’s injury at the end of September. Although the midfielder, captain due to the loss of Ter Stegen, wanted to do too many things on the first day. He was the owner of the ball outlet, taking risks on more than one occasion, and the inactivity took its toll on him in the form of dangerous losses, which Rayo wanted to take advantage of.
The interiors in the upper part of the square were Cancelo and Pedri. The canary only appeared a couple of times between the lines but those were the few times that light was seen in the attack. Lewandowski was unable to take advantage of a deep pass from Tenerife, and when he dribbled past Dimitrievski he was left without an angle. Later, Pedri himself tried it with a thread that went high. The other great occasion was a slalom by Lamine Yamal, who shot without force. With Ferran Torres missing and Lewandowski isolated, the young winger became rebellious.
It was clear from the beginning that Barcelona wanted fresh legs because they gave rest to three players who had arrived loaded with minutes for their national teams, starting in the two games of the break: the German Gündogan, the Portuguese João Félix and the Uruguayan Araújo.
Barcelona thought that once Rayo’s initial outburst had been overcome they would have more peace but they were penalized precisely for the final part of the first half and not for leaving the locker room, as was anticipated in Vallecas. They almost looked like they were facing the break at 0-0 when they found themselves losing after a set piece with two rebounds in front. Both fell to streaky players, a circumstance that is not usually coincidental.
Balde’s header was caught by Trejo who didn’t think about it and shot. Iñigo Martínez had to put his foot down. But that ball also went to the locals. Unai López hit the other post with all his intention. Iñaki Peña launched himself but could not reach a shot that had a thread from the inside to the outside.
The goal took a while to get on the scoreboard because the VAR wanted to analyze a positional offside by Valentín, which could block the vision of the Alicante goalkeeper, although, unlike when Barça was annulled in Granada, this one was validated.
And that final stretch could have been worse because De Frutos once again beat Cancelo’s back with time running out. The Blaugrana defense stood still but there was no offside and, after the cross, Balde had to avoid Camello’s close-range shot.
The 1-0 score once again forced Xavi’s team to make a new extra effort in the second 45 minutes and the team went out with another march and Ferran Torres was able to equalize but his header was soft and into the hands of Dimitrievski. It was the last thing the Valencian striker did before leaving his position to João Félix. Gündogan and Raphinha also entered. And with the first ball he touched, the Brazilian shot the post, announcing the final reaction that already saved Barça against Alavés, Real Sociedad and even against Celta.
Needed as they are to not give up on the fight, the visitors turned their attention and it was in a filtered pass from Iñigo Martínez that they found Balde, whose center was sent into the net by Lejeune in his attempt to stop Lewandowski from finishing. There was time for another epic comeback and in another hubbub, Barça, especially their bench, asked for a maximum penalty from Raphinha. But this time the flower did not cover the delicate moment of the team, which lives too much on the edge. It can’t always be expensive. And even less against a Rayo that resists them in their last five duels.
Lightning: Dimitrievski, Balliu, Lejeune, Mumin (Pathe Ciss 74), Hawthorne, Valentin, Unai Lopez (Ratiu 78), Isi, Trejo (Kike Perez 68), De Frutos (Baby 68) and Camel (Falcao 74).
Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Cancelo, Christensen, Iñigo Martinez, Balde, Oriol Romeu (Gündogan 54), Pedri (Fermin 74), De Jong, Lamine Yamal (Raphinha 74); Ferran Torres (John Felix 54) and Lewandowski.
Goals: 1-0 Unai López (38); 1-1 Lejeune, own goal (82)
Referee: Juan Luis Munuera Montero (Andalusian committee). He warned Espino (m.63) and Falcao (90), of the Lightning; and Pedri (m.31), Romeu (50), Joao Felix (93) and De Jong (904), of Barcelona. He sent off Sergio Alegre, a member of Xavi Hernandez’s coaching staff.
Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 14 of LaLiga EA Sports played at the Vallecas stadium before 14,148
