Spanish champions Barcelona faced a setback with a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday. This continues their run of underwhelming performances. The surprise leaders Girona and rivals Real Madrid, now in second place, have the opportunity to further extend their lead over the third-place Catalans in the next two days. Unai Lopez scored for Rayo Vallecano from long range in the first half, but Barcelona managed to equalize through Florian Lejeune’s own goal in the 82nd minute.
Barcelona’s performance has raised doubts as they have not been at their best for several weeks. The team now faces Porto on Tuesday in their pursuit of Champions League knock-out round qualification.
Xavi, in an interview with DAZN, acknowledged the game as a “game of two halves,” where they dominated the first half without causing much damage. He emphasized the need to be more aggressive and win these games to secure the league title.
Inaki Pena started in goal for Barca due to Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s absence with a back problem. The fit-again Frenkie de Jong replaced the injured Gavi in midfield. Gavi has been described by the coach as the “soul” of the team, and Barcelona players wore shirts before kick-off with his name and a message saying “we are with you, Gavi.”
The game saw Rayo Vallecano taking the lead after 39 minutes through Lopez’s superb long-range effort. Barcelona improved in the second half but struggled to match Rayo’s intensity. The Catalans eventually leveled in the 82nd minute when Lejeune deflected the ball into his own net under pressure from Barcelona’s players.
Barcelona’s failure to beat Rayo in five matches has raised concerns, and they could fall six points behind Girona if their neighbors win on Monday. Real Madrid, currently two points clear of Barcelona, will visit Cadiz on Sunday, while fourth-place Atletico Madrid will host Mallorca later on Saturday.