Barcelona dropped their first points of the La Liga season after being held to a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano, with goalkeeper Joan Garcia delivering a string of vital saves to prevent defeat in Madrid.
The champions took the lead shortly before half-time when Lamine Yamal coolly converted a contested penalty after a collision with Pep Chavarria. Rayo protested the decision furiously, but with VAR communication down due to technical difficulties, the referee’s call stood.
Rayo responded after the break, and deservedly so. Following a corner, Fran Perez smashed the ball in off the bar to level the score, with the hosts creating several more dangerous openings as Barca’s defence looked vulnerable once again.
Garcia, who arrived from Espanyol this summer, was the hero for Barcelona—denying Isi Palazon, Jorge de Frutos, and Ratiu with outstanding saves to secure a point.
Despite coach Hansi Flick’s rotation—including starts for Dani Olmo and Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford dropping to the bench—Barca’s frailties at the back continued, echoing the issues seen in their narrow win over Levante last weekend.
The result leaves Barcelona in fourth place, two points behind leaders Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, both of whom maintained perfect starts.
Barca fans will credit Garcia for salvaging a draw, but questions remain about the team’s defensive balance as Flick searches for stability in his early days in charge.
