Dani Olmo made a memorable debut for Barcelona, scoring the decisive goal in a comeback win that ended Rayo Vallecano’s three-match unbeaten home streak in head-to-head encounters and maintained Barça’s perfect start to the season.Rayo Vallecano came into the match with confidence, having scored first in their previous four encounters with Barcelona. They continued that trend, taking the lead just nine minutes into the game. The hosts’ early pressure paid off when Unai López capitalized on a cut-back from Jorge de Frutos, sliding the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen at the near post. While the first half was marked by intense battles and flare-ups, clear chances were scarce. Lamine Yamal came closest for Barcelona with a late swerving shot that forced a save from Daniel Cárdenas.Seeking a turnaround, Hansi Flick brought on summer signing Dani Olmo at the break for his first appearance in a Barça shirt. The change injected new life into the team, and within five minutes of the restart, Barcelona nearly equalized when Raphinha’s low cross just missed the outstretched foot of a sliding Robert Lewandowski. Moments later, Olmo almost made an instant impact with a powerful long-range shot that thundered off the crossbar.The pressure from Barcelona finally bore fruit at the hour mark. A well-executed one-two between Pedri and Raphinha ended with Pedri calmly slotting home his first goal of the season, setting the stage for an intense final 30 minutes. Barcelona kept up their relentless attack, and although Lewandowski thought he had put his team ahead, his close-range finish was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up. As the match wore on, Barça’s dominance paid off when Olmo controlled Yamal’s pass expertly before firing into the bottom corner, securing a deserved lead.Barcelona’s much-improved second-half performance sealed the victory, giving them nine points from their opening three La Liga matches. Notably, Barça has now scored exactly two goals in each of their last six away league games, though they’ve kept only one clean sheet in that run. For Rayo Vallecano, a spirited effort ultimately went unrewarded, marking just their third defeat in seven home league games, a sequence stretching back to the end of the previous season.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 3MondayVillareal – Celta 4-3 (1-2)/Cardone 26, Barry 60, Jailson 64(og), Parejo 90+10 – Iglesias 12, Minqueza 31, Starfelt 80)TuesdayMallorca – Sevilla 0-0Rayo Vallecano – Barcelona 1-2 (1-0)/Lopez 9 – Pedri 60, Olmo 82/WednesdayBetis – Getafe POSTPONED due to coinciding with the Conference play-off20:00: (1.62) Ath.Bilbao (3.70) Valencia (6.00)20:00: (2.40) Valladolid (3.20) Leganes (3.40)22:30: (1.70) Sociedad (3.50) Alaves (5.50)22:30: (1.35) Atl.Madrid (4.90) Espanyol (9.50)Thursday20:00: (1.75) Girona (3.70) Osasuna (5.40)22:30: (7.50) Las Palmas (4.60) Real Madrid (1.42)***odds are subject to change***
