Barcelona Crush Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to Retake LaLiga Lead

Barcelona needed only nine minutes to turn an early deficit into control, then finished with a 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou. Sergio Camello put the Madrid side ahead in the 12th minute, but Raphinha equalized seven minutes later and Lamine Yamal struck again two minutes after that.

Yamal’s goal, his first of the season, came from the edge of the area. He cut inside before curling a shot into the top corner. The 21st-minute strike helped Barcelona move quickly past an uncertain start and gave the young Spain international another chance to rebuild his form after an uneven opening to the campaign.

Barcelona extended its lead in the 51st minute when Florian Lejeune turned the ball into his own net after Anthony Gordon’s run down the wing. Rayo refused to disappear from the match, however. Camello scored his second goal with a header from a corner in the 59th minute, bringing the score to 3-2.

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In the last few matches he had not been able to score, but he has already shown the quality he possesses.

Raphinha restored the two-goal cushion in the 71st minute, and Yamal completed his brace in the 90th. Coach Hansi Flick acknowledged that Barcelona should have managed the game better after taking a 3-1 lead. He responded to Rayo’s pressure by bringing on Rodri Hernández and Fermín López.

The result put Barcelona back at the top of LaLiga. Rayo, which had taken the lead through a fast counterattack involving Álvaro García, continued its wait for a first league victory.

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When you are 3-1 ahead, especially at home, you have to control the game better. We have the quality to control it.