By Sachit Subba • Football • Sep 01, 2026 02:21 AM • 57 views
On Monday night, Barcelona kept their perfect start to the LaLiga campaign. Raphinha and Lamine Yamal each scored two goals as the defending champions beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at Camp Nou. As a result, this win puts Hansi Flick's team at the top of the league standings. They now have nine points and are just above Real Madrid on goal difference.
Rayo Vallecano scored first in the 12th minute when Alvaro Garcia got ahead of defender Jules Kounde and passed accurately into the penalty area. Sergio Camello then touched the ball and placed it straight past goalkeeper Joan Garcia. Barcelona showed frustration at once, but remained calm and kept control of the ball. They equalised seven minutes later when Xavi Espart made a quick pass to Raphinha, who entered the box and calmly put the ball into the net.
Barcelona went ahead in the 21st minute when Yamal got the ball just inside the penalty area and hit a curling left-footed shot into the top corner. This goal was his 50th for the Catalan club. Before halftime, the home team had another chance for a third goal when Kounde took advantage of a rebound after Vallecano goalkeeper Daniel Cardenas fumbled a save. Officials reviewed the incident with VAR and decided not to award the goal for offside.
Immediately after the interval, Barcelona renewed their attack. In the 51st minute, Anthony Gordon produced a dangerous cross into the area, which hit Vallecano defender Florian Lejeune on the foot and then rolled into the net as an own goal. Vallecano got their second goal in the 59th minute when Unai Lopez took a corner kick into a crowded box and Camello, rising above the defenders, headed the ball in for his second goal of the night.
The visitors tried to build momentum, but Barcelona ended it in the 70th minute. Kounde saw Gordon moving down the pitch and played a long pass towards him. Gordon received the pass, moved inside the penalty area and then played a smart backheel pass to Raphinha. Raphinha then scored by driving the ball past Cardenas, making it his fifth league goal in just three matches.
Vallecano still had one more clear chance in the 82nd minute. Randy Nteka found space in the centre of the box and struck a strong shot. Joan Garcia tracked the ball and made a vital save to keep the two-goal lead.
Yamal scored the goal in the last minute of normal time; Karim Adeyemi made a short pass, after which Yamal struck a low and spot-on shot from outside the box that struck Cardenas, who was diving. If you look at the league table today, Vallecano will be in 18th position with just one point and no victories from three matches.
