Defensive cracks, teenagers impress | Three takeaways from Barcelona 5-2 Rayo Vallecano | OneFootball

Barcelona’s golden duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both netted braces in the team’s clash against Rayo Vallecano on Monday night, taking the team to the top of the table once more with a perfect score and a staggering twelve goals scored in three games.

The Brazilian promptly equalised to nullify Rayo Vallecano’s opener before Lamine Yamal fired the team into the lead in the first half.

After the break, Anthony Gordon forced an own-goal with a vicious cross that took a deflection before he combined once again with Raphinha for the team’s fourth goal on the night.

Somewhere along the way, Rayo Vallecano stole another goal back, but Barcelona showed no mercy and eventually made it five goals with Lamine Yamal netting his second goal.

Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 5-2 Rayo Vallecano.

Defensive frailties begin to show

Barcelona’s first two La Liga games saw the team keep two clean sheets with an impeccable defensive record, and there was hope that the same streak would continue at the Spotify Camp Nou on match day 3.

Barcelona conceded two goals vs Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Last night, however, Barcelona’s defensive frailties were partially exposed for the first time this season as the visitors scored twice – once early on to take the lead and once to spark hope of a comeback in the second half.

Hansi Flick made changes in the defensive lineup on the night, bringing in Jules Kounde for Eric Garcia and swapping Gerard Martin for Andreas Christensen.

His selection had a direct impact on the team, as they failed to maintain the clean sheet, for Kounde appeared to be a shadow of his former self and was sluggish throughout the game. The opening goal conceded came off his poor positioning in an attack completely stemming from his flank.

Beyond the direct error leading to the goal, he appeared to be a defensive liability throughout the game. His attacking contributions were impressive, but it is clear why Hansi Flick prefers Eric Garcia in recent times.

The second goal conceded on the night came off a set-piece where Xavi Espart failed to adequately mark his man, continuing the trend of the team struggling against set-pieces in recent seasons.

All in all, the team did not suffer too much in defence barring a small period close to the hour mark, but it does give Hansi Flick a reason to step back and ponder what changed compared to previous games. 

Lamine Yamal is back

While Raphinha and Anthony Gordon were impressive once again in the attack, Lamine Yamal’s return to his gala self is the bigger takeaway from last night’s clash, especially given how the player was crucified by fans for being below par in the team’s opening games.

Lamine Yamal was fantastic. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Starting for the team as usual, Yamal made a menace of himself on the left flank from the get-go. He looked to finally be enjoying his football again and played as freely as he did before his injury last season.

Yamal was devastating as a creative force on the night, producing seven key passes, creating two big chances and an xA of over 0.5.

He completed eight of thirteen attempted dribbles, had 77 touches of the ball and made eight progressive carries into the Rayo Vallecano area.

More importantly, he scored his first league goal of the season with an absolute doozy of a shot, curling the ball into the top bins of the near corner from a tight angle. 

After helping the team equalise early on, he went on to score his second late in the night, once again with a precise shot placed into the bottom corner.

The young Spaniard’s return to his best, needless to say, comes as massive news for Hansi Flick and Co. who will be relieved to see him enjoying his football once more.

The teenagers impress

It’s unbelievable how Barcelona regularly fielding four teenagers in the starting XI has been normalised, for it is simply not normal for players of that age to play week in and week out with the maturity they show.

The young Barcelona generation really impressed against Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Yamal may have stolen the show once again, but his La Masia peers were impressive against Rayo Vallecano as well. The players in question, needless to say, are Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart.

Like Yamal, Cubarsi also appears to be accepted now as an anomaly of the sport and he was sensational once again for Barcelona against Rayo Vallecano. Beyond making a last-ditch block, he led the defence by example, organised the side in set-pieces and took responsibility in the team’s buildup.

He made ten defensive contributions on Monday night with a blocked shot, four recoveries, six clearances, an interception and five duels won. He also completed 81% of his 110 attempted passes.

One performance that was more significant than Cubarsi’s heroics, meanwhile, was that of Marc Bernal who has relatively struggled to fit into first-team dynamics but was comfortable against Rayo Vallecano.

The young defensive midfielder took the defensive load with ease, helped in the buildup, kept possession and even got into attacking positions regularly last night.

Bernal earned the assist for Lamine Yamal’s opener on paper, and given his performance, that was deserved. After all, he completed close to 90% of his passes, made two key passes and even three successful dribbles.

The third player of the same La Masia core who shone once more was Xavi Espart who is now the only player to have played all 270 minutes under Hansi Flick this season. 

His movements off the ball and comfort in possession, combined with his intelligent overlapping runs and creative line-breaking passes all make him virtually undroppable at this point.