Teen sensation Lamine Yamal opened the scoring for Barcelona in the 40th minute, converting a penalty he had won after being brought down by defender Pep Chavarría. However, the decision sparked debate as the VAR system was down at the time, meaning the referee’s call could not be reviewed.
New signing Marcus Rashford made his third appearance for Barcelona since joining on loan from Manchester United, coming on in the 62nd minute for Raphinha. While the England forward struggled to impose himself on a difficult pitch, he did deliver a dangerous corner that defender Eric García headed over.
Rayo struck back in the 67th minute when substitute Fran Pérez smashed home a superb volley from a corner. The hosts nearly went ahead moments later, but Jorge de Frutos saw his effort saved in a one-on-one with Barça keeper Joan García. Rayo also had a goal disallowed for offside before García produced another fine late save to deny Sergio Camello, ensuring the points were shared.
The result ends Barcelona’s perfect start to the season. After two opening wins, the reigning champions now sit fourth in La Liga with seven points from three games, while Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao lead the table with nine points apiece.
What happened with VAR?
Spanish football expert Guillem Balagué, speaking on Premier Sports, explained the situation:
- Before kickoff, the referee informed both managers that the VAR feed was unavailable inside the stadium.
- Though pictures briefly returned after 11 minutes, they were soon lost again.
- At the time of Yamal’s penalty, VAR was completely down, leaving no chance for the referee to review the decision.
“All parties were aware of the issue,” Balagué said. “The debate is less about the lack of VAR, and more about Rayo Vallecano believing it was not a penalty. But on closer inspection, it looks like the referee made the correct call.”
