FC Barcelona continued their perfect start to the Hansi Flick era against Rayo Vallecano, making it three out of three wings in La Liga. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the team though who struggled in the first half after going behind in the game.
Flick changed things at half-time by bringing on Dani Olmo for Ferran Torres. Buoyed by the debutant’s impressive performance, the team took their game up a notch and managed to make a comeback thanks to goals from Pedri and Olmo himself.
Rayo had chances to equalize late on with Barcelona playing with 10 men following Marc Bernal’s unfortunate injury. However, the defense held strong with Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez clearing every ball that came their way to secure Flick his third win.
There were many talking points this week and we at BNN bring to you the three major ones from the 2-1 win against Rayo.
1. What time is it? It’s Dani Olmo time!
It’s been some time coming but the wait is worth it. After missing out on Barcelona’s first two games due to registration issues, Olmo was on the bench for the game against Rayo and had to watch the team meander through the first half.
Flick opted to change things up, bringing the 26-year-old for his debut immediately after half-time and giving him his favored #10 role. To say that Olmo changed the complexion of the game would be an understatement.
From his very first touch as a Barcelona player, Olmo oozed class. Every move he made with the ball was filled with purpose. He was unlucky not to win a penalty with his first involvement minutes into the second half. He also had an effort from long range that skimmed the top of the bar.
Ultimately, Olmo got what he deserved when Lamine Yamal found him in space inside the box. The ex-RB Leipzig man took a touch onto his left foot and unleashed a brilliant finish that would have made Lionel Messi proud.
Olmo even pulled out the ‘Dame Time’ celebration alongside the assist-provider Lamine Yamal. We covered a story explaining the reason behind such a celebration after what was a memorable moment for the fans. Hopefully the first of many.
2. Soto Grado disasterclass
When it was announced that Cesar Soto Grado would referee the game against Rayo, some of the Barcelona fans were already fearing the worst. It’s fair to say that the 44-year-old lived up to his reputation.
Here are Soto Grado’s highlights from the game. He failed to give a penalty after a reckless challenge on Olmo inside the penalty box minutes into the second half. VAR did not intervene in what was a joke of a decision.
He did not reprimand a Rayo player who literally used his hand to shield the ball inside the Barcelona penalty box. He ruled out Robert Lewandowski’s goal for one of the most innocuous fouls by Jules Kounde (at least this is debatable).
He failed to red-card a Rayo player who went with his studs into Pedri’s shin in what can only be described as an outrageous challenge. The 21-year-old was fortunate to escape without an injury and was quickly taken off by Flick.
The icing on the cake however had to be his reluctance to blow the full-time whistle even after the 10-added minutes at the end of the 90 elapsed. It almost felt like the referee would not blow the whistle until Rayo scored. Absolute shambles. Well tried, Mr. Cesar Soto Grado!
3. A devastating injury
It’s not often that a hard-fought win feels like a loss but that’s exactly how Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Rayo felt. After the game, Marc Bernal’s horror injury was all anyone could think of and Barcelona’s worst fears have been confirmed.
Medical tests today have revealed that the 17-year-old prodigy had torn the ACL on his left knee. Not just that, he has also damaged the meniscus on the knee, much like Gavi which effectively means that his entire season is over.
Marc Bernal had an unbelievable game against Rayo and it’s a shame that his season had to end this way. The teenage La Masia prodigy was just getting started in the senior team and Barcelona have now been dealt a crushing blow.
Bernal looked like the next Golden Boy in the making. He is still young and will surely recover and return stronger from this setback. However, Hansi Flick has been handed an immediate blow and needs to find a replacement.
Barcelona do not have a natural positional pivot replacement in the squad and Flick will now be forced to innovate. It remains to be seen how he makes up for the loss of the teenager. One can only hope Bernal makes a strong recovery and returns better than ever.
