With illusion you don’t win games. Nor with a series of exciting signings that caused, yes, the massive return of the culé to the Camp Nou. Not even signing 21 shots, six of them on goal, including two well canceled goals (to Lewandowski and then to Kessie), proof that Xavi’s Barça is in an incubation period, subdued as it was by Rayo who ruled the night in the first half and then resisted in a commendable defensive exercise, also helped by the lack of Barça offensive forcefulness.
Barça did not play well. Many occasions, little aim. Too much speed, little football, beyond the final rush that he starred in when Xavi intervened with a triple change, which shook his team a bit, but without any effectiveness. In addition, he finished with 10 being sent off Busquets for two yellow cards thanking Ter Stegen for his blessed right hand because he avoided the rayista victory in added time.
lightning pressure
Sad tie to begin with and it was already sensed. When the first hydration break arrived, Xavi tried to correct the things that he had not liked about the first half hour of the match. Barça, electric and vertical that the coach is building, was short-circuited by the Lightning pressure.
The Madrid team was brave and daring, capable of putting the Barça structure in many difficulties. He did not feel comfortable at all. He even needed five minutes to peek into Dimitrievski’s box with some intent thanks to the connection of the wingers.
Anchored as exit ramp on the left Dembele. installed raphinha on the right flank. But insiders like Pedri or Gavi did not appear with the frequency and intelligence that Barça’s game needs. The match moved at high speed, full of intensity, with an excellent Ray imposing its law. And Xavi, of course, didn’t like that. It is logical. His team did not have the joy that he had projected in the exciting preseason. Nor forcefulness.
Alba’s dismissal
At least, back did not seem to suffer. In a defense where there was no pure right back, Xavi used three central defenders (Araujo, close to the lime, Christensen and Eric Garcia ruling in the axis) along with Jordi Alba, the only one who has no competition on the left. And it was he, precisely, who got lost in the last breath of the first half causing Barça to begin to tremble.
Already in added time, Álvaro García had a snack, sorry he had dinner with Araujo, before being left alone in front of Ter Stegen. It was goal or goal. But the German goalkeeper not only shortened the space for the Rayo footballer but later took out, in a display of reflexes and mental speed, his right hand to avoid the 0-1. A monumental stop to rid Barça of a scare. A monumental save that, in reality, portrayed the first 45 minutes, which were 50. The game was played as Rayo wanted.
And Pique?
The defense, which had suffered nothing, panicked in the closing moments of the first half. Y Pique? Where was she? Well, sitting on the bench. Like all summer. He has already been decreed, and officially, his substitute status. It remains to be seen if one of the Barça captains will be able to reverse this situation, but he is facing something that he had not known before. The defense was Piqué and three more. Now there are four and no trace of him, with Araujo suffering in that fake winger role. It can be a resource, but not a definitive solution.
Barça also lacked football. He wasn’t in true control of the night he brought 81,104 viewers in the azulgrana temple. It was as vertical as it was imprecise. As fast as strangely irregular in the construction of the game. Too fast as its extremes. little patient as claimed Pedriabove all, and Gavi to turn on the light.
The news is that the culé, even in mid-August, has returned home enthusiastic about what he senses it could be, although it is not yet. And the team, as expected, after that collection of stickers gathered in a summer at the stroke of lever after lever, needs essential cooking time.
triple change
Xavi, uncomfortable with what happened, had to intervene. The start of the second half emitted the same worrying signs for Barça. As soon as the ball was in motion, the coach ordered Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto and Ansu Fati Let them go out to warm up. Symptom that nothing had gone as the Barca coach drew on the board. And Camello, with another great occasion, showed that Rayo had learned the lesson well.
Barcelona was lucky that Eric was quick in the pressure and even luckier that Christensen acted as a solvent central defender avoiding the 0-1. Not even an hour of play and the two best chances for Iraola’s team. Xavi intervened and in a profound way with a triple change: Frenkie de Jong, applauded by the Camp Nou, replaced Gavi, Ansu Fati came on for Raphinha and Sergi Roberto replaced Christensen. Half an hour to change a night that Rayo dominated, relocated, again, Araujo as central.
Then Xavi’s team woke up through a couple of poisonous exterior shots: Ansu and Busquets. Both repelled by Dimitrievski. In addition, Frenkie had much more weight in just half an hour than the two starting inside players, while Xavi accumulated forwards. Auba entered to complete an attack with Auba (left), Dembélé (right), Lewandowski (nine) and Xavi closed with only three defenders. And Rayo surviving the final storm of Barça locked up in his home. It frustrated him in such a way that it left him dry and helpless. First night, first puncture.
Data sheet:
Barca: Ter Stegen (8), Araujo (4), Christensen (6), Eric García (5), Jordi Alba (4), Pedri (5), Busquets (5), Gavi (4), Raphinha (4), Lewandowski (5) and Dembele (5). Substitutions: Frenkie de Jong (7) for Gavi (m. 60), Sergi Roberto ( ) for Christensen (m. 60); Ansu Fati (5) for Raphinha (m. 60); Kessié (5) by Pedri (d. 72); Aubameyang (5) by Jordi Alba (d. 82). Coach: Xavi (4)
Vallecano Ray: Dimitrievski (7), Balliu (5), Lejeune (5), Catena (6), Fran García (6), Pathé Ciss (6), Unai López (5), Isi (6), Óscar Trejo (6), Álvaro (7) and Camel (6). Changes: Falcao (5) for Camel (m. 62); Óscar Valentín (5) for Unai López (d. 62); Salvi Sánchez (sc) by Isi (d. 79); Well (sc) by Trejo (d. 84). Coach: A. Iraola (7)
Referee: Hernández Hernández, Canarian (6)
Yellow cards: Dembele (m. 14); Oscar Trejo (d. 45); Catena (d. 45+4); Lejeune (d. 55); Falcao (d. 69); Busquets (m. 74 and m. 90 +3); Pathe Ciss (d. 86); Dmitrievsky (d. 89)
Red card; Busquets (m. 90 + 3)
Related news
Stadium: Nou Camp
spectators: 81,104