Rayo end Barcelona's winning run to hand Real Madrid early title boost

Rayo Vallecano vs Barcelona ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was the Champions who were lucky to escape with a draw, as they struggled to cope with the host's intensity at Vallecas.

The Blaugrana went ahead from the penalty spot, against the run of play. After having a goal ruled out for offside, Rayo Vallecano equalised and for the remainder of proceedings, threatened to blow Barcelona away but for the impervious Joan Garcia.

Rayo Vallecano set the tone from the opening whistle, dominating possession and stifling Barcelona’s attempts to build up. 

However, it was the Blaugrana who had the first telling chance of the match when a sloppy back pass from Rayo presented Raphinha with an opportunity, but he failed to capitalise. 

Rayo's relentless pressure paid off in the form of a thrilling sequence that ended with Joan García making a spectacular save from Andrei Ratiu. 

Despite the intense action, the score remained deadlocked until Yamal's clever run earned Barcelona a contentious penalty, which the teenager coolly converted. However, the decision was not reviewed by VAR due to pre-announced technical issues, which sparked whistling and moaning in the stadium. 

In the second half, Barcelona's struggles continued, with Dani Olmo spurning a promising chance to double the lead. Rayo pounced on defensive lapses, and Jorge de Frutos's effort was initially ruled a goal before being flagged offside. 

As the hosts pushed for an equaliser, García continued to deny them, making a stunning save from de Frutos, but Rayo soon found the back of the net through a well-worked corner routine, which left Fran Pérez unguarded at the back post to finish.

Despite opportunities aplenty, neither side could add to the scoreline, with Sergio Camello's late effort disallowed for offside. With the draw, Barcelona now trail Athletic Club and Real Madrid, with their Basque and Castilian rivals the only clubs remaining with a 100% record in the division.