A solid outing for FC Barcelona ended in victory for the Catalan giants over Rayo Vallecano. A 3-0 win at home was enough to see Xavi’s team clinch all three important points. Now, Barcelona have guaranteed themselves second place as they are now certain to play in the Spanish Super Cup next season.
The game truly kicked off in style as Barcelona got an early goal through Robert Lewandowski, and then two late entries from Pedri ended up giving Barcelona all the closure and comfort they needed from this must-win match to stay above Girona in the La Liga table.
Here are the player ratings for Xavi’s Barcelona players.
Player Ratings:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 7.5
Impeccable in his distribution, Rayo Vallecano could not do anything to dispossess or unsettle the Barcelona number one. The German international maintained another clean sheet, and also ended up being crucial in many of Barça’s buildups.
Joao Cancelo: 6.5
Much more progressive today, Joao Cancelo got to play his own brand of football. This allowed the Portuguese fullback to add more spark to the Barcelona attack, and it eventually paid off given the overload they had in Rayo’s box.
Inigo Martinez: 7.0
Strong and dominant at the back, Inigo Martinez was resilient in front of his own goal and kept Rayo Vallecano away from the Barcelona net. His performance was a solid one from start to finish.
Pau Cubarsi: 6.5
The youngster had a solid outing, maintaining another clean sheet for Barcelona before he ended up getting substituted. His passing, composure, and defensive positioning remain commendable even near the end of the season.
Jules Kounde: 6.5
Another key performer, while Jules Kounde was not as instrumental as he has been in recent games, he was solid nonetheless. His positioning and presence on the right flank gave Barcelona some much-needed cover in case they lost possession on that side or suffered a counter attack.
Sergi Roberto: 6.5
Just like the rest of his midfield partners, Sergi Roberto had a comfortable game against Rayo. While the opposition was not exactly flawless, the Spanish midfielder did what he could to pass to his teammates with good consistency and be a good outlet to the others dressed in Blaugrana.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7.0
Incredibly important in the way Barcelona distributed possession, he maintained composure and control in the heart of the midfield. With him in midfield, Barcelona looked quite comfortable across the entirety of the game.
Fermin Lopez: 6.5
As dynamic as always, Fermin Lopez received a heartfelt ovation from the fans as he came off the field. His energy was important for Barcelona in continuously thwarting any sort of danger that Rayo Vallecano could even think of conjuring up.
Raphinha: 6.5
The Brazilian winger had a dangerous-looking performance that needed the Rayo keeper to make some good saves. However, he was ultimately unable to have the impact that he would have ideally liked to have had.
Robert Lewandowski: 8.0
While the Polish striker did not get to have many moments of brilliance, he made sure that he made his single best chance count. After a beautiful cross from Lamine Yamal reached him, he had the awareness to control the ball well and shoot it into the net with precision.
Lamine Yamal: 8.5
The young Barcelona winger was relentless in creating chances for his teammates. Moreover, he even had the guts to try some outrageous things himself, even if they did not always come to fruition. His assist to Lewandowski was brilliant as well.
Substitutes:
Andreas Christensen: 6.0
A solid performance for Andreas Christensen again, who kept his cool and helped Barcelona maintain their structure in the second half.
Ronald Araujo: 7.0
Despite coming late into the game, the Uruguayan defender did well to get himself incorporated quickly. Eventually, one of his well-timed and well-placed long balls reached Pedri, who scored a third goal for Barcelona against Rayo.
Pedri: 8.5
The Spanish wonderkid came into the game as a substitute and gave Barcelona all the hope and relief they needed. With two very different kinds of goals, Pedri ended up scoring a wonderful brace for Barça.
Joao Felix: 7.0
It was thanks to the Portuguese forward’s sensational dribbling in the Rayo Vallecano box that led to the second goal for FC Barcelona.
Vitor Roque: 6.5
The young Brazilian forward showed some real sparks of brilliance after coming on, and it was good to see him get some proper involvement in the game.
