November 25, (THEWILL) – Barcelona’s struggles continued on Saturday, after they could only manage a 1-1 draw away at Rayo Vallecano. A late own goal from Rayo defender, Florian Lejeune, rescued a point for Barcelona, but the dropped points open the door for rivals Real Madrid and surprise package Girona to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Rayo Vallecano made most of the running in a dominant first half display at their home stadium. Their pressure paid off in the 39th minute when midfielder Unai Lopez smashed in a stunning left-footed volley from distance. Barcelona struggled to create many clear chances, and went into half time a goal down.
The second half saw Barcelona mount wave after wave of attacks as they desperately sought an equaliser. Efforts from Pedri, Ferran Torres and Joao Cancelo went begging, before finally Lejeune turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Robert Lewandowski in the 82nd minute. The goal brought Barcelona level, but they were unable to find a dramatic late winner.
The result leaves Barcelona one point behind rivals Real Madrid, who now have a game in hand over the Catalan giants. Surprise package Girona can also extend their advantage at the top of La Liga, capitalising on Barcelona’s slip up. Manager Xavi will be disappointed his side could not make their second half dominance count.
With the Spanish league season approaching its midway point, Barcelona face an uphill battle to overhaul the teams above them and defend the La Liga trophy. Based on this performance they must work hard to stop falling short when it matters most.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
