Barca drew Rayo Vallecano 1-1 in absence of Captain and Keeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen.
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| Pedri in action vs Rayo Vallecano (image: FromTheBend archives) |
Barcelona travelled to Madrid to face off Rayo Vallecano in the Game Week 14 of LaLiga 2023-24. Barca has now failed to secure a victory over the hosts in five consecutive fixtures since early 2021.
With instrumental players missing from the squad including current Zamora trophy holder Marc Andre Ter Stegen, the Catalans were in for a tough away game at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas.
Inaki Pena took up the spot between the sticks in MATS' absence, and Dutch maestro Frenkie de Jong returned to the starting line-up from injury in the crucial matchup.
Captain Frenkie de Jong! 😍 #RayoBarça pic.twitter.com/WY9g84erFs
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 25, 2023
Rayo netted the opener in the 39th minute when Oscar Trejo's volley was scored upon rebound by Unai Lopez.
The Catalans initially started the first half on the back foot but gained possession and control of the rhythm heading into halftime. Unfortunately for the Blaugranas, multiple parried chances saw Xavi Hernandez’s men fail to find the back of the net.
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| Joao Felix and Robert Lewandowski vs Rayo Vallecano (image: SL inc) |
It wasn't until the 82nd minute that Alejandro Balde’s cross into the Rayo Vallecano box prompted their defender Florian Lejeune to try and block the ball from reaching Lewandowski, inadvertently netting an own goal against his side.
The goal is officially an own goal by Florian Lejeune. #RayoBarça
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 25, 2023
The equalizer helped the Catalans resurge with energy which unfortunately they failed to build on in the dying moments of the game.
To say Inaki Pena had been anything short of spectacular throughout the 90 minutes would be unfair to the Spanish national, given he had made a handful of saves for the Catalans. Inigo Martínez was the highlight in Barcelona's defense where he made crucial interceptions to keep the scoresheet from taking a lopsided turn.
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| Frenkie de Jong was pivotal in maintain rhythm in the middle of the park vs Rayo Vallecano (image: FromTheBend) |
Frenkie de Jong’s return from injury marked a statement performance in Barcelona’s midfield, who are now missing Pablo Gavi due to an ACL injury suffered during the international break.
The Dutch maestro lived up to the occasion and had been a crucial player throughout the 90 minutes for the Catalans. De Jong was named Man of the Match but was seemingly unhappy with Barcelona's performance in the away fixture.
Questionable refereeing has become a recurring hiccup for Barcelona as the Catalans once again found themselves at the opposite end of uncalled fouls. Offensive play on Robert Lewandowski and another possible penalty for a foul on Raphinha went overlooked by VAR. Xavi: "Then I'm told I'm looking for excuses, but the foul on Raphinha is a clear penalty. It happened to us in Getafe, in Granada and today. We lost because we weren't good in the first half, and that's no excuse, but it's a clear penalty." pic.twitter.com/HUMXa4bCuM
Xavi Hernandez and Co. will next be facing FC Porto in their fifth game of the UCL group stages. Barcelona need to secure at least one more victory in the remaining two games to make it to the round of 16 in the European competition.
Meanwhile, they now sit third with 31 points after La Liga Gameweek 14 behind Girona and Real Madrid. Can Barcelona step up their game in the coming fixtures?
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