Barcelona’s hopes of making it ten LaLiga away wins on the bounce came to an end on Sunday night as Rayo Vallecano snatched a 1-1 draw at the Estadio de Vallecas.
Softfootball reported that Barcelona could be favourites to win the game, and Lamine Yamal’s first-half penalty looked to have put the champions on course for another victory, but Fran Pérez’s late strike ensured the spoils were shared.
The game was lively from the start. Rayo pressed high and almost went ahead when Andrei Rațiu tested Joan García with a fierce effort. At the other end, Barça wasted chances of their own, with Raphinha guilty of a poor miss after capitalising on a loose back pass. Dani Olmo then forced Augusto Batalla into a fingertip save as both sides traded blows.
Just before the interval, Yamal’s brilliant footwork drew a clumsy challenge and won the visitors a penalty. The teenager brushed off the whistles and tucked it away confidently, though the decision sparked fury among home supporters after VAR communication failed. Olmo could have doubled the lead moments later but dragged wide, leaving the contest finely poised.
Barcelona uploaded a video of Lamine Yamal celebrating his goal on the club’s official X handle.
Watch the video below:
The second half followed a similar pattern. Isi Palazón and Jorge de Frutos gave the hosts real energy going forward, while Pedri began to pull the strings for Barcelona. De Frutos thought he had levelled, only for an offside flag to cut celebrations short.
Rayo kept coming, though, and finally broke through on 72 minutes when Pérez lashed home from close range after Barça failed to deal with a corner. The noise inside Vallecas was deafening, and it spurred the hosts to push for more. Sergio Camello even had the ball in the net late on, but again the flag went up.
In the end, Barcelona held firm but were left frustrated. Still unbeaten under Hansi Flick in league trips to Madrid, they’ll feel this was two points dropped rather than one gained.
