New signing Dani Olmo came off the bench to help Barcelona turn the game around and score the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in their third La Liga match.
Olmo replaced Ferran Torres right after halftime in the Rayo – Barcelona match on August 27. At that point, the home team was leading 1-0 against a disjointed Barcelona in the first half. However, the presence of Euro 2024 Golden Boot winner Olmo immediately made a difference. Barcelona played faster, attacked more, and finished more accurately.
In the 50th minute, the visitors almost equalized. Raphinha crossed into the six-yard box, but Robert Lewandowski missed a close-range chance. Three minutes later, Olmo came close to scoring with a 25-meter shot that hit the crossbar.
Under constant pressure from Barcelona, Rayo’s defense continued to expose gaps. In the 60th minute, after moving to the left to stretch Rayo’s defense, Raphinha crossed into the penalty area for Pedri. The Spanish midfielder controlled the ball with one touch and then shot with his left foot into the far corner to level the score at 1-1.
Barcelona continued to dominate after the equalizer. They finished the match with 65% possession and 22 shots, while Rayo had only eight.
In the 82nd minute, Olmo sealed the 2-1 win for Barcelona. After receiving a cross from Lamine Yamal, the 26-year-old attacking midfielder turned and shot with his left foot into the far corner, leaving the 10 Rayo players in the penalty area helpless.
Before Olmo entered the game, Barcelona had a poor start. Coach Hansi Flick used the same starting lineup as in the first two matches, but the players were not cohesive. In the ninth minute, Unai Lopez scored with a low shot from a right-wing cross to put Rayo ahead. Goalkeeper Ter Stegen touched the ball but couldn’t prevent the goal.
The most notable moment for Barcelona in the first half was a shot by center-back Inigo Martinez in the penalty area. Without Olmo, Raphinha had to play as an attacking midfielder. However, the Brazilian, along with Ferran Torres and Lewandowski, had a lackluster start, leaving Yamal isolated in attack.
Olmo recently joined Barcelona from RB Leipzig for $60 million. However, due to the team’s salary cap restrictions, the Euro Golden Boot winner couldn’t be registered for the first two matches. He was only available to play against Rayo due to Andreas Christensen’s injury. According to the rules, if a team has a long-term injured player, they are allowed to register an additional player even if the salary cap is exceeded.
In their first two matches, Barcelona also won against Valencia and Bilbao with a score of 2-1. Coach Flick’s team is currently leading La Liga with nine points, two points ahead of second-place Villarreal.
