Barcelona continued their flawless start to the La Liga campaign with a dominant 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou. The win, which marks the team’s third consecutive triumph, was fueled by braces from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, keeping Hansi Flick’s side in top form.
The match began with an early setback for the hosts when Jules Kounde failed to contain Alvaro Garcia, who set up Sergio Camello for a clinical opening goal. Barcelona responded with intensity, quickly overturning the deficit through Raphinha, who skillfully bypassed Pathe Ciss to score, and Yamal, who capitalized on a defensive error to whip a strike into the top corner.
This milestone goal was significant for 19-year-old Yamal, marking his 50th goal for the club—an achievement he reached two years younger than Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. Reflecting on the first half, Flick told DAZN, “I think the first half we played really fantastic; the goal, 1-0 against us, can happen but the reaction was quite good and I loved a lot of things I saw in the first half.”
Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half when Florian Lejeune inadvertently turned an Anthony Gordon cross into his own net. Despite the cushion, Flick expressed frustration as Rayo narrowed the gap to 3-1, with Camello heading in his second of the night following a corner that youngster Xavi Espart struggled to defend.
“When you are 3-1 ahead especially at home you have to control the game much better,” Flick explained. “We have the quality to control it, to have more ball possession. The mentality of our team and some players is always wanting to attack.”
The victory was sealed when Gordon, who proved instrumental throughout the match, backheeled the ball to Raphinha for his second goal of the night. This strike marked the Brazilian’s fifth of the season, cementing his position as the league’s top goal scorer. Yamal added a final flourish in the 90th minute, curling a lethal finish from the edge of the area after being set up by substitute Karim Adeyemi.
Midfielder Marc Bernal praised the young star’s performance, noting, “In the last games (Yamal) could not score, but he’s shown his quality through his career. Today he scored and we’re happy for him.” Flick also highlighted that Yamal is returning to his peak level following a hamstring injury sustained in April.
The match was observed from the stands by Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, who is linked with a move to Barcelona before the transfer window closes on Tuesday. Addressing the potential arrival, Flick stated, “For me he’s a top striker and of course for us very important, he can give us a lot of things and very happy that he’s here.” The report also notes that barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both struck twice as the champions beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 to continue their perfect start to the campaign. The report also notes that sergio Camello netted a brace for the visitors at Camp Nou but Hansi Flick’s Barca managed to record a third win from three matches from an entertaining battle. The report also notes that with his first goal, Yamal, 19, hit the milestone of 50 for the club two years younger than Barcelona icon Lionel Messi was when he managed the feat. The report also notes that the Brazil international showed excellent footwork to leave Pathe Ciss for dead and then produced a cool finish.
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