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Barcelona 1-0 Rayo Vallecano: Report, result, goals from La Liga

Barcelona edged past Rayo Vallecano in La Liga

Written by Ben Miller
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Barcelona 1-0 Rayo Vallecano: Report, result, goals from La Liga

Ronald Araujo’s 24th-minute header and an inspired performance by goalkeeper Joan Garcia sent Barcelona seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a nervy win at home to 14th-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Garcia’s first-minute save from Carlos Martin’s close-range finish set the tone for much of the encounter, with Barca forced to hold on at times either side of defender Araujo nodding the winner from Joao Cancelo’s corner, hitting a post on its way past Augusto Batalla.

Garcia Unai pushed Unai Lopez’s second-half header away among a string of impressive saves for a side who finished with an expected goals total of 1.36 to Vallecano’s 1.83.

Real Madrid play their match in hand at home to Atletico Madrid later on Sunday (20:00 GMT). Barca are next in action away to Atleti on April 4 (20:00), a day after Vallecano host 16th-placed Elche (20:00).

La Liga positionTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGDPoints
1Barca292414+5073
2Madrid282134+3666

Analysis: How Barcelona found Vallecano ‘really difficult’

When Raphinha charged clear on goal but fired wide in the 13th minute, Barcelona fans might have sensed this would not be as easy an encounter as their extraordinary 7-2 win at home to Newcastle in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Vallecano, too, were wasteful from glorious opportunities and felt they should have had a penalty for a challenge by Fermin Lopez on Andrei Ratiu.

“It wasn’t just one guy who had a bad game, when you look across the board,” former Venezuela forward Alejandro Moreno told ESPN, calling Barca “very underwhelming” and “very tired”.

“Joan Garcia was excellent and had to be. If you weren’t picking him as man of the match, then you look to Araujo.

“The attacking players had a really difficult time finding any rhythm. Raphinha had a really difficult time.”

Moreno said there had “definitely” been “a touch” by Lopez on Ratiu. “The more you watch it in slow motion, the worse it gets,” he added. “He went down trying to embellish it and trying to get a call.”

Barcelona team vs Rayo Vallecano

Araujo replaced the injured Eric Garcia for Barcelona in the 22nd minute of the win over Newcastle and that change is replicated in the only amendment to Hansi Flick’s starting line-up.

Defenders Andreas Christensen (knee) and Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde (both hamstring) were injured. Midfielder Frenkie de Jong had a hamstring problem.

Barcelona starting XI: Joan García, Joao Cancelo, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Fermín Lopez, Gerard Martin, Marc Bernal

Barcelona substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Gavi, Ferran Torres, Marcus Rashford, Marc Casado, Roony Bardghji, Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, Diego Kochen, Antonio Cortes, Fortuny Espart

Rayo Vallecano team vs Barcelona

Midfielder Diego Mendez was a long-term injury absentee for Rayo Vallecano and winger Ilias Akhomach (ankle) was out, having been a major doubt.

Inigo Perez brought in right-back Andrei Ratiu, midfielders Pedro Diaz and Gerard Gumbau, forward Martin and winger Fran Perez.

Luiz Felipe, Lopez, Alexandre Alemao, Alvaro Garcia and Jorge de Frutos made way.

Rayo Vallecano starting XI: Augusto Batalla, Andrei Ratiu, Pep Chavarria, Pedro Diaz, Pathe Ciss, Isi Palazon, Carlos Martin, Gerard Gumbau, Fran Perez, Oscar Valentin, Florian Lejeune

Rayo Vallecano substitutes: Dani Cardenas, Luiz Felipe, Alemao, Sergio Camello, Randy Nteka, Abdul Mumin, Unai Lopez, Alvaro Garcia, Jorge de Frutos, Ivan Balliu, Alfonso Espino, Jozhua Vertrouwd

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick

Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano stats

  • Barcelona have a perfect 14-match record at the Camp Nou since returning to their stadium
  • They have won five successive La Liga games since a 2-1 defeat at Girona on February 16, previously beating Sevilla 5-2 at home on March 15
  • Flick’s team had scored at least three goals in each of their preceding eight home matches in all competitions in 2026, including 12 across the last two
  • Robert Lewandowksi’s two goals in the second leg against Newcastle put the striker 14th among Barca’s all-time scorers, netting 117 goals in three seasons to move level with Hristo Stoichkov
  • Former Netherlands forward Patrick Kluivert (122) is the next player Lewandowski could overtake in those standings
  • Only Real Oviedo (20), Getafe (25) and Alaves (26) have scored fewer La Liga goals this season than Rayo Vallecano (28)
  • Vallecano’s last Liga away win was a 3-0 victory at Levante on October 19, losing six and drawing three such games on the road since then
  • They had drawn their previous two Liga games on the road – 1-1 at Sevilla and Real Betis – and won six of their last nine away matches in the Copa del Rey and Conference League (L2 D1)
  • Two of their trips to Barca in their history have resulted in wins, prevailing 1-0 in April 2022 and 2-0 in May 2000
  • A 1-1 home draw in August was the first time Vallecano had avoided defeat in four meetings with Barca
  • Vallecano’s unbeaten run in the five encounters before that (W3) had followed a sequence of 14 successive Barca victories in the fixture between May 2003 and January 2021

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