Rayo Vallecano 2-1 Barcelona: La Liga leaders suffer surprise defeat
Barcelona faced Rayo Vallecano in a midweek La Liga fixture and lost 2-1, suffering only their third defeat of the season. It was a memorable win for Rayo Vallecano as goals by Alvaro Garcia and Fran Garcia gave them a commanding lead before Robert Lewandowski scored a late consolation for Barcelona. Despite the loss, Barcelona remain on course to win their first La Liga title since 2018-19, as they are 11 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Real Madrid, with eight matches left in the season. They will host fifth-placed Real Betis on Saturday.
Barcelona had lost only twice in La Liga all season up until that point, but they failed to beat Rayo Vallecano in their last three appearances. On Wednesday, they were second-best for long periods of the game and struggled to keep up with the hosts’ pressure and intensity. They went two goals down by the 53rd minute and could not find a way back into the game.
Despite the loss, the only winner on the night was Rayo Vallecano left-back Fran Garcia. The 23-year-old has been one of Rayo's best players all season and had a dominant performance against Barcelona. He shut down Raphinha with tight, physical defense and used his pace and strength to always be an option going forward. His desire and intensity led to him winning the ball from Frenkie De Jong and scoring the game-winning goal. His performance raised his stock tremendously, and he might have caught the eye of some big teams as transfer season approaches.
While Barcelona wasted the chance to end the title race, they have seven games left to play, and an 11-point lead is a comfortable margin. However, their recent form has been inconsistent, winning only one of their past four league games. They need to get back to their winning ways if they want to secure the La Liga title and have a shot at success in the Champions League.
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