Forward Robert Lewandowski converted a first-half penalty to secure a challenging 1-0 victory for Barcelona at home against Rayo Vallecano on Monday, propelling them to the top of the LaLiga table.
Barcelona capitalised on Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid’s dropped points over the weekend, moving from third place to the summit of the league. They are tied on 51 points with Real Madrid but lead due to superior goal difference. Atletico are closely behind by one point, while an in-form Rayo Vallecano sits sixth with 35 points.
Barcelona managed to end Rayo’s nine-match unbeaten league run, leaving Rayo frustrated with several contentious referee decisions. After Pathe Ciss fouled Inigo Martinez in the penalty area, Mario Melero Lopez awarded Barcelona a penalty after an extensive VAR review. Lewandowski secured the win with a clean strike from the spot in the 28th minute.
Although Barcelona dominated possession, Rayo appeared more threatening, prompting Barca’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to deliver a standout performance, thwarting their attempts.
Rayo’s players were infuriated when their appeals for a penalty were dismissed after Pau Cubarsi seemingly fouled Ciss—a situation they felt mirrored the one where Barca was granted a penalty. Rayo’s frustration mounted when Jorge de Frutos’ goal was controversially disallowed in the 42nd minute. Defender Martinez made a vital clearance off the line with his head just before the interval, while Szczesny continued to perform impressively in the second half to ensure the three points were secured. Nonetheless, Rayo had a golden opportunity to equalise when Jorge de Frutos missed a close-range header during injury time. “I prefer to keep my thoughts on the referee to myself today, but everyone behaves as they see fit,” an evidently exasperated Rayo manager Inigo Perez expressed to Movistar Plus when questioned about the contentious decisions. “Defeat always stings, but today it will take me a few hours to settle down given everything that transpired and how we played. At present, the only word that comes to mind is bitterness…”
