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Looking to build on their 1-0 win over Real Sociedad, second-placed Barcelona welcomed Rayo Vallecano to the Camp Nou on Sunday night (24 April).
Although Barca had almost all their big players on the pitch, the hosts failed to get the better of the mid-table outfit, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.
Barcelona’s defeat bodes well for league leaders Real Madrid, who now need a single point from their remaining five games to clinch their 35th La Liga title. Los Blancos are 15 points ahead of their arch-rivals.
Despite playing in one of the most intimidating stadiums in Europe, Rayo Vallecano did not let the home team have their way. They played with heart and with cleverness, running circles around the Barca midfield.
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After just seven minutes of play, Vallecano gave the Blaugrana a taste of their own medicine, scoring a goal following a series of beautiful passes. From the right side of the midfield, Isi Palazon delivered a chipped through-ball into the box for Alvaro Garcia to chase. The Spaniard got there ahead of Sergino Dest and rolled it effortlessly past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to break the deadlock.
The Catalan giants tried to level the scoreline almost immediately, but Ronald Araujo’s goalbound attempt was not enough to beat Stole Dimitrievski. In the 42nd minute, Gavi had a go at goal from 18 yards out, but saw his effort strike the crossbar.
Memphis Depay carved the visiting team's defense open a couple of times in the second half, but Rayo Vallecano’s resilient defending thwarted his attempts. A minute before the end of regulation time, Gavi went down inside the opposition box. The hsts urged for a penalty but were denied by the referee.
Sunday’s loss marked Barcelona’s third consecutive defeat at home across all competitions, an unwanted feat they achieved for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
On that note, here are five Barca players who played a part in setting that unwanted record:
#5 Gavi
Barcelona youngster Gavi started alongside Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong in midfield against Rayo Vallecano. The 17-year-old tried his best to use his pace and movement to make things happen but rarely enjoyed any luck.
Except for hitting the crossbar in the first half, Gavi didn’t do much of note, often getting muscled off the ball by the opposition.
The teenager misplaced 11 of his 47 passes, saw six of his eight crosses go wayward, and lost a total of eight duels in the match.
He also lost possession a whopping 28 times, committed three fouls, and saw a yellow for his poor challenge on Unai Lopez in second-half injury time.
#4 Frenkie de Jong
Since Pedri’s injury, Frenkie de Jong has struggled to produce consistent performances for the Blaugrana.
The Dutchman usually enjoys a few neat moments over the course of a match but rarely makes a telling difference.
Last night was one such night for the former Ajax, one where he only showed flashes of his brilliance but didn’t make a tangible difference.
De Jong was not very involved against the lowly visitors and practically saw the game pass him by. He rarely forayed into dangerous areas and did not find enough space to have a go at goal from range.
Before being subbed off in the 60th minute in place of Nico Gonzalez, De Jong only had one key pass to his name, didn’t attempt a single cross, and lost possession six times.
The former Ajax star also did not attempt a single shot at the opposition goal.
#3 Ferran Torres
January signing Ferran Torres has become quite an unpredictable player at Barcelona. Often he plays like a seasoned forward, making the opposition sweat with his clever gameplay.
On other occasions, he looks rather ordinary and clueless, struggling to impose his authority. Last night, unfortunately, fell into the latter category, with the Spaniard struggling to do anything worth noting.
Against Rayo Vallecano, Torres had no shots on target, failed in all three of his dribble attempts, and made only 10 accurate passes with 66.7 percent accuracy.
The former Manchester City player also lost all five of his ground duels and ceded possession 10 times before being substituted in the 60th minute for Memphis Depay.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Having scored a goal in his last outing at Real Sociedad, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came into Sunday’s fixture full of confidence.
Unfortunately, the Gabon international completely lost his way in front of goal last night and cut a dejected figure up top.
The former Arsenal forward's link-up play was non-existent, his shooting lacked confidence, and he lost possession rather easily.
In front of Andoni Iraola’s side, Aubameyang had zero shots on target, played only six accurate passes, and lost possession six times.
Discouraged by the January signing's uninspiring performance, Xavi subbed him off for Luuk de Jong in the 71st minute.
#1 Sergino Dest
Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest endured a horrendous night at the Camp Nou on Sunday. He was responsible for the only goal of the contest and did nothing to make amends for it later in the game.
Isi Palazon’s ball over the top was exquisite, but Dest should have done a lot better to halt Alvaro Garcia’s run towards the middle. The USA international was slow to react to the delivery and lost to Garcia in the foot race. The Celta Vigo forward applied a clever finish to seal the game in the Blaugrana’s backyard.
`Before being subbed off for Clement Lenglet at halftime, Dest lost possession five times, lost his only duel, and did not create a single chance for his teammates.
A poor outing from the former Ajax defender.
Also Read: Barcelona 0-1 Rayo Vallecano: 5 Talking Points as Barca fail to win yet again | La Liga 2021-22
