FC Barcelona emerged victorious in their third successive La Liga game of the campaign with yet another 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano. Goals from Pedri and Dani Olmo were enough for the club to make a second-half comeback and secure all three points.
The Catalan club was second best in the first half with Rayo’s immense physicality plus the lack of spaces on the pitch not helping Flick’s team. The game changed in the second half when the German coach brought on Dani Olmo for Ferran Torres.
The Barcelona debutant was spectacular even with his first touch. Shortly after, he hit the crossbar with an exceptional long-range effort. Olmo added so much control in midfield and his touches around the penalty box were a joy to watch.
Unfortunately, despite the impressive win and the performances of Olmo and Pedri, the victory did not taste sweet as 17-year-old Barcelona prodigy Marc Bernal had to go off with a serious-looking injury after being tackled at the end of the game.
There is a fear that the teenage starlet has torn his ACL and that his season is over. Speaking after the game as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick admitted that this victory felt sad after Bernal’s injury. Here is what he had to say:
“It’s a bittersweet victory due to Marc Bernal’s injury, it doesn’t look good. We have to wait for the next few days and see the test results. No one in the dressing room is happy for Marc.”
Tests might not be carried out yet but it doesn’t look good for Bernal. His season might be over. It’s a shame because Bernal was exceptional on the night in a performance that reminded one of Sergio Busquets.
More importantly, Barcelona does not have another player of his profile in the squad and this would leave us in the exact same position as last season. With less than three days to go in the transfer window, it remains to be seen if the Catalan club can do anything to address this situation. If not, this could be a huge blow for the season ahead.
