By Joiner Martinez
Aug 27, 2024, 6:30 PM EDT
FC Barcelona will end the third round of LaLiga as sole leaders, after a hard-fought 2-1 victory in Vallecas against a Rayo Vallecano that showed moments of bravery and good football.
Goals from Pedri, in the 60th minute, and Dani Olmo, in the 82nd, allowed Barça to maintain their ideal score in LaLiga and turn the result around, as Rayo had been winning since the 9th thanks to Unai López’s goal.
The start of the match was striking, as the home team attacked Barcelona from the very first minute. There was no room for speculation. In a small stadium, with the fans very close to the pitch, the pressure was felt.
And it finally exploded when Jorge De Frutos led an attack on the right, went to the end and launched a precise cross back from below that fell on the foot of López, who defined at the near post, overcoming the weak resistance of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
In the second half, FC Barcelona increased their pressure. The first sign of this came two minutes in, when Yamal and Frenchman Jules Koundé created a beautiful one-two on the right, entering the area, which ended with the Frenchman face to face with the goalkeeper. Ghanaian defender Abdul Mumin saved just in time.
From that moment on, FC Barcelona took control of the match.
The first concrete consequence came in the 60th minute, when Pedri opened the scoring. Raphinha, very incisive on the left, overflowed and passed to Pedri, who took the ball slightly behind but quickly adjusted it and finished off the right post.
The match became a battle between one team, Barcelona, who wanted to win, and another, Rayo Vallecano, who tried to hold on.
Just when it seemed that the home team was going to prevail, Yamal appeared on the right and passed back to Dani Olmo, who stopped it, opened his foot and crossed it masterfully for 2-1.
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