Three talking points as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in La Liga | OneFootball

FC Barcelona knew they had a difficult game on their hands against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. The team had given everything against Newcastle United in midweek, and fatigue was always likely to creep into their performance.

One of the biggest surprises ahead of the game was Flick’s decision to make almost no changes to the XI that started against Newcastle, except for an enforced switch at right-back, where Ronald Araujo replaced the injured Eric Garcia.

Beyond that, Flick surprisingly chose to keep the same XI despite the risk of tired legs. In the end, it was a sluggish performance from Flick’s team under the sun at Camp Nou in a very rare midday kick-off.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in La Liga at Spotify Camp Nou.

Ronald Araujo with a solid performance at right-back

One of the biggest dilemmas for Hansi Flick ahead of the game was deciding between Xavi Espart’s attacking flair and Ronald Araujo’s defensive acumen at right-back against Rayo Vallecano.

Araujo did put Barcelona ahead in the first half with a towering header from a corner. It was an excellent delivery from Joao Cancelo, who put it on a plate for the South American to nod home past the Rayo goalkeeper.

What was really impressive about his game, though, was his ability to hold his own defensively and combine well with Lamine on the right flank. He made the right decision on most occasions and won his duels well.

While right-back might not be his preferred position, his athletic ability and physical presence help him do more than just a decent job. In the absence of Kounde and Eric Garcia, he has performed admirably, and tonight was yet another step in the right direction.

A refereeing disasterclass

Yesterday, we covered a referee watch on what exactly Barcelona could expect from Cordero Vega, who had been appointed to officiate the game. The hope was that he would simply do his job and stay out of the limelight, but that is exactly what he failed to do.

It was difficult to keep count of the number of incorrect decisions he made throughout the game, for both teams. He whistled for clean tackles and let some of the most blatant fouls go. He also failed to award Barcelona a penalty after an apparent foul on Lamine.

Towards the closing stages of the game, he incorrectly gave Rayo a corner even though the ball had not gone out and awarded a number of throw-ins in the wrong direction. He also failed to show a second yellow card after a poor challenge from a Rayo player.

Ultimately, it did not cost Barcelona this time, but it is yet another game that will prompt discussion about the standard of refereeing in La Liga.

Job done

It was a 1-0 win and, arguably, one of the ugliest victories under Hansi Flick. It was the complete antithesis of the game the same team played against Newcastle United in the Champions League just a few days earlier.

Ultimately, Barcelona knew all along that what mattered most was the three points. A tired team could not produce a better performance than they did on the night, and it is not something the club will be especially proud of.

That said, a superb Joan Garcia repeatedly kept Barcelona in the game. It is these kinds of difficult victories that usually differentiate a title-winning team from one that falls short, and Araujo emerged as the match-winner for the second time this season.

It remains to be seen what happens in the Madrid derby later, but for now Barcelona are seven points clear at the top of La Liga.