Barcelona 1-0 Vallecano: Araujo seals the game as Garcia makes key saves

Barcelona earned a fifth successive victory in LaLiga after beating Rayo Vallecano in a narrow 1-0 win, ensuring the Blaugrana will stay at least four points ahead of title rivals Real Madrid, no matter the result in Sunday night’s Madrid derby.

Match Report

Joan García was forced into a save from Carlos Martín after just 50 seconds, when Rayo beat Barça’s high line with their first attack of the game, and it would be 10 minutes before the hosts had their first shot on target, a tame effort from Gerard Martín that was safely gathered by Augusto Batalla. Raphinha somehow missed the target after cutting out a pass in the centre circle and having the run on Pathé Ciss, whilst the visitors packed the midfield and looked to break at pace at every opportunity.

Barça continued to probe for the opener, and, on 24 minutes, a lovely cross from a João Cancelo corner found Ronald Araújo at the far post, and his downward header gave the hosts the lead. One almost quickly became two but Batalla managed to push a rocket from Raphinha onto the crossbar as the hosts continued to threaten. Some scrappy play from both sides followed, and a series of free-kicks disrupted the flow of the game. Though Barça were still in the ascendancy as the HT whistle was blown, they’d rarely looked like adding to Araújo’s opener.

Within three minutes of the restart, Rayo again beat the offside trap, though Fran Pérez’s cross could only find García’s gloves. As the hour mark approached, Barça stepped up the pace again, with a handful of half-chances going begging. Rayo were almost back on level terms when a fierce left-footed strike from Álvaro García was well saved by his namesake, and the goalkeeper then somehow diverted a header from Unai López away from danger whilst in mid-air. 

The lack of fluidity in Barça’s play drew loud whistles from the Camp Nou faithful, and when four Rayo players broke the lines again, the home support held their breath. Fortunately for the Catalans, Pacha Espino could only fire over. Though there was little in the way of attacking intent from the hosts in the closing stages, they held on for their 15th successive victory in LaLiga at Camp Nou. The loss for Rayo means that their poor recent away record (D3, L6) continues.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Pre-match, camera on Iniesta in the stands

1' Vallecano start brightly, Garcia denies close-range effort

8' Yellow Card! Raphinha booked

13' Raphinha intercepts, drives into box, shot just past the post

19' Yamal goes down in box, referee says no foul

22' Yamal cross with outside of foot, Raphinha with poor contact

24' GOAL! Araujo heads in off post from Cancelo corner. Barcelona 1-0 Vallecano

26' Yellow Card! Yamal booked

30' Raphinha volley, tipped onto bar

37' Latiou goes down in box, referee waves play on

46' Ferran on for Lewandowski

52' Fermin down injured, medics attend

57' Yamal controls, beats man, into box, shot just past the post

60' Olmo and Casado on for Bernal and Fermín

63' U. López glances header, García with vital save

81' Raphinha steals from keeper, cross cut out

82' Yamal off, Rashford on as sub

83' Vallecano break, Espino fires great chance wide

88' Yellow Card! Isi Palazón booked

Line-ups

Barcelona XI: Lewandowski, Cancelo, Raphinha, Araujo, Pedri, Joan García, Fermín López, Yamal, Gerard Martín, Cubarsi, Bernal

Subs: Szczesny, Olmo, Rashford, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia, Casado, Gavi, Roony Bardghji, Diego Kochen, Álvaro Cortés, Xavi Espart

Vallecano XI: Lejeune, Augusto Batalla, Gumbau, Óscar Valentín, Isi Palazón, Pedro Díaz, Pathé Ciss, Andrei Rațiu, Pep Chavarría, Fran Pérez, Carlos Martín

Subs: Balliu, Unai López, Álvaro García, Alfonso Espino, Luiz Felipe, Dani Cárdenas, Abdul Mumin, Jorge de Frutos, Sergio Camello, Randy Nteka, Alemão, Jozhua Vertrouwd