Barcelona-Vallecano 0-0, ter Stegen protagonist

Ninety-nine minutes without goals at the Camp Nou. Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano rejoin La Liga with a great desire to do and few real thrills: the championship debut ends 0-0. A lot of pressing and little precision for Xavi’s men, a couple of great occasions for Iraola’s team, which fails the big shot thanks to an unsurpassed ter Stegen.

equilibrium

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Ten minutes of study, then Barça comes forward: Dembélé finds the filter for Lewandowski from the left, the Pole beats Dimitrievski with the dig and baptizes the debut in Liga in his own way. But it is offside, all to be redone. The Blaugrana grow with the passing of the minutes and the right wing offers the most interesting ideas: on 16 ‘Raphinha’s strangled left ends on the side, on 34’ the conclusion of an active Dembelé is central. The high pressing, the trademark of the Xavi band, works and keeps Rayo on the ropes: Pedri (nice right-footed shot from the edge of the area, slightly out) and Lewandowski (imprecise header) try in succession just before the 40 ‘. Iraola’s team collects without falling and, in the second of five minutes of injury time, the clearest opportunity of the first fraction happens on Alvaro Garcia’s right: an exceptional ter Stegen opposes the close-range shot by the Spaniard. At rest it is 0-0.

steady result

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The second half starts in the wake. Barcelona keep possession, but at 51 ‘there is another sensational chance for Rayo with Camello. The striker, on loan from Atletico Madrid, sends Garcia and Christensen into a tailspin and, face to face with ter Stegen, opts for a soft left: ball just wide. The set-ups of the teams change around the hour of play. Triple change for Xavi: inside Ansu Fati, de Jong and Sergi Roberto, outside Raphinha, Gavi and Christensen. For Iraola two substitutions: out Lopez and Camello, space for Valentin and Falcao (not at their best). At 64 ‘it is precisely the right from the edge of the newly entered Ansu Fati, served by Dembelé, to commit Dimitrievski, who responds confidently even a few minutes later on Busquets’ blow from distance. With 20 ‘from the end comes Kessié’s debut in the Liga, on the pitch in place of Pedri: the former Milan is immediately dangerous with a left in the 75’, high, while six minutes later Lewandowski touches the lead with another left to edge of pole. At 5 ‘from 90’ Xavi moves all in with Aubameyang in place of Jordi Alba: the final forcing of the blaugrana (who remain in 10 after the expulsion for double yellow of Busquets, at 90 ‘+ 3’) leads to the goal, canceled for offside, by Kessié. You don’t even need nine minutes of recovery (at 95 ‘another thrill with the goal canceled in Falcao for offside) to break the deadlock: debut without goals and with one point each for Barcelona and Rayo.