Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Tuesday August 27, 2024 at 11:43 p.m.
FC Barcelona had to fight hard to win on the Rayo Vallecano pitch during this 3rd day of La Liga.
In an intense match, the Catalans finally took the upper hand thanks to a second half transformed by the entry into play of Dani Olmo. The match began with an unexpected domination by the home team, who immediately put pressure on the Barcelonans. In the 10th minute, Unai Lopez took advantage of a well-led collective action by De Frutos to open the scoring with an unstoppable shot that deceived Ter Stegen. Barça, taken by surprise, struggled to react despite the attempts of Yamal and Raphinha, often clumsy or too isolated to seriously worry the Madrid defense. Despite possession largely in their favor, the Blaugranas were sterile and ineffective in front of goal throughout the first half.
Olmo shines with Barça
After the break, the Barcelona coach brought on Dani Olmo, and the face of Barça changed radically. The Catalans pushed from the first minutes of the second half, multiplying the chances. Olmo particularly stood out by hitting the crossbar in the 59th minute, before seeing his team finally rewarded thanks to Pedri, who equalized with a beautiful cross shot (60′).
The equaliser galvanised Barça, who thought they had taken the lead in the 71st minute thanks to Lewandowski. However, the goal was disallowed after the intervention of the VAR for a foul by Koundé. But the Catalans’ efforts finally paid off: in the 82nd minute, Olmo, the real dynamite of the Barcelona game, found the back of the net with a precise shot, allowing Barça to definitively take the lead. Despite a tense end to the match and a few scares, Barça managed to maintain their lead. This 2-1 victory allows the Catalans to take first place in the standings, thus continuing their good start to the season in La Liga. The match also allowed us to see the immediate impact of Dani Olmo, who already seems to be integrating perfectly into the Catalan system.
