When Hansi Flick’s side looked like collapsing at Vallecas, it was the goalkeeper who ensured his side remained unbeaten
It is not often that Barcelona score first in a game but end up being lucky to get away with a draw. But the point was the least Rayo Vallecano deserved, and had it not been for an outstanding display from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, the champions might well have returned to Catalonia empty-handed.
It was that sort of game, where only person came well prepared for the occasion, while the rest of the Catalan contingent, underdressed and lurking shamefully in the shadows, tried as much as they could to be unnoticed, to look the part without looking the part.
Barcelona started well, tried to impose their passing game, but Rayo’s intensity and direct running repeatedly unsettled them. That high line was tested so many times. On multiple occasions Rayo’s players burst beyond the Barcelona defence and towards Garcia and the goal, like some Shaolin Soccer reenactment: Hang on, stand back Catalans, let’s test your goalie.
For the first example, a long ball from Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla appeared to be going just beyond Isi Palazon on the left, but the winger slid to cut a pass into Alvaro Garcia, who then squared for Andrei Ratiu in the box. It had to be one-nil, only for Garcia to spread himself and block from point-blank range. Then moments later, the Barcelona keeper also had to drop down very quickly to deny Palazon.
Flick’s side were poor but still quite measured in the first half, crowning it with the controversial opener five minutes before the break, when Yamal drove into the box and was awarded a penalty after he appeared to have been tripped by Pep Chavarria, but with VAR unavailable due to technical problems, there was no way to review the decision.
But the performance worsened in the second half. There was little Garcia could do as Rayo grew stronger and stronger in the second period and eventually levelled after the hour. Palazon’s corner flew past a huddle of bodies rooted in front of goal and dropped favourably to winger Fran Perez, unmarked, untouched, unbothered at the back post.
His well-executed volley rattled the underside of the bar before bouncing in. To deny him Garcia would have needed to be an Eastern god, thousand-armed Kannon, flailing his many arms around the face of goal.
Moments later Palazon was creator once more, bringing down a long pass superbly with his chest right on the touchline and then setting up Jorge de Frutos with a volleyed pass.
The winger was offside as he ran through on goal, but Garcia wouldn’t have known that when he read the situation, stood his ground, then dropped down at the last minute to smother the chance.
The next one two minutes later wasn’t offside. Ratiu ran through to receive a pass from Pathe Ciss, and then cut back in the box to Palazon, leaving Barcelona’s Eric Garcia on the floor as he tried to cover, but the goalie Garcia was there again, diving sharply to his left to palm the resulting shot away. Rayo ultimately bundled the ball in from the follow-up but Ratiu had then been offside.
A minute to stoppage time, with Pedri caught on the ball and then complaining while sat on his bottom, Pedro Diaz collected and slid Perez through on goal. Garcia also reacted quickly, dropping down to his left to save the shot, before scrambling up to gather after Sergio Camello fluffed his lines.
In the end Barcelona walked away still unbeaten. Their perfect start to the season is ended and Real Madrid are now two points ahead, but the blue and garnet army know they have a goalkeeper who can rescue them in the off days.
