Barcelona thrash Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to go top of La Liga
FC Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at home in La Liga's third matchday, moving level with Real Madrid at the top of the table, while Rayo dropped into the relegation zone after the defeat.
Barcelona crush Rayo Vallecano 5-2
FC Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at home in matchday three of Spain's La Liga, moving level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table — the only two clubs with a perfect record after three rounds. The match was played at the Spotify Camp Nou in front of 57,768 spectators, according to MARCA.
A surprise visitor lead
Rayo shocked the hosts by taking the lead in the 12th minute, when Sergio Camello fired home after a precise pass from Álvaro García exposed a defensive lapse by Jules Koundé. It was the first league goal conceded by Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García this season.
Barcelona responded quickly: Raphinha equalised in the 19th minute after a triangular move involving Pedri and Espart, and Lamine Yamal made it 2-1 just two minutes later with a left-footed strike. Before half-time, a goal by Koundé, following a rebound off Anthony Gordon's shot, was ruled out by VAR for offside.
After the break, Florian Lejeune turned Gordon's cross into his own net, making it 3-1 in the 51st minute, but Camello headed in from a corner in the 59th minute to bring Rayo back within one goal, 3-2. Raphinha restored the two-goal cushion in the 71st minute, finishing off a backheel assist from Gordon, before Lamine Yamal completed his brace in the 90th minute, converting a pass from Adeyemi to make it 5-2, as described by TNT Sports.
Statistics and what's next
According to BBC data, Barcelona dominated across the board: 68.6% possession compared with Rayo's 31.4%, 26 shots to 11 (nine on target), and a 90.4% pass accuracy against Rayo's 73.9%. Referee Francisco José Hernández issued a single yellow card, to Rayo's Adrià Pedrosa in the 90th minute.
The win is Barcelona's third in as many league matches this season and puts them top alongside Real Madrid. Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, drop into the relegation zone with just one point after the defeat. Before kick-off, Rayo's players wore a shirt in support of Argentine goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, who suffered a fractured tibia, MARCA reported. Rayo will next face Racing Club, while Barcelona travel to Valencia ahead of a Champions League clash with Feyenoord next Wednesday.
