FC Barcelona moved through the third game of their La Liga title defence with a comfortable if occasionally shaky home win, seeing off Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at the Spotify Camp Nou. Hansi Flick’s side were made to work for it at times, but braces from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, plus an own goal from the visitors, ultimately settled the contest. Barcelona’s team news and selection picture heading into the match had flagged some midfield rotation, and it showed in patches defensively even as the attack ran riot.
Between the posts, Joan Garcia earned a 7.5 despite failing to keep a clean sheet, still delivering good saves and reliable distribution throughout. In front of him, Jules Kounde struggled for sharpness and picked up only a 6.5, his afternoon summed up by lethargic positioning and a goal chalked off for offside. Pau Cubarsi was the standout defender at 8.5, producing a goal-saving block and a crucial late tackle alongside composed passing, while Andreas Christensen’s 7.0 reflected a mixed outing in which he conceded an unnecessary corner that led directly to Rayo’s second goal. Xavi Espart continued his impressive first-team introduction with an 8.0, adding an assist to another polished defensive display.
Marc Bernal picked up an 8.5 in midfield, winning several duels and teeing up Yamal’s opener, with Pedri close behind on 8.0 for his usual control of tempo and space-creation. Off the bench, Rodri (7.5) helped shut down Rayo’s structure once introduced, while Fermin Lopez (7.5) contributed defensively and got into promising attacking areas of his own.
Up front is where the afternoon was decided. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha both took 9.5 ratings, with Yamal’s dribbling and clever passing complementing two well-taken finishes, and Raphinha continuing his rich scoring form while playing out of position as the team’s central striker – form good enough, per the primary match report, to see him lead the La Liga scoring charts outright. Anthony Gordon rounded out the front line with an 8.5, forcing Rayo’s own goal, assisting Raphinha, and generally causing problems all game.
Among the remaining substitutes, Karim Adeyemi (7.0) showed promising pace and set up Yamal’s second, Joao Cancelo (6.5) offered a decent late cameo, and Hamza Abdelkarim was left unrated given his limited time on the pitch. For a broader sense of how these marks compare to Barcelona’s other recent outings, the ratings from the win over Elche offer a useful reference point, particularly for Raphinha’s evolving form.
The result papers over some familiar defensive cracks – both goals conceded traced back to lapses in concentration rather than individual quality – issues examined in more depth in separate coverage of Barcelona’s defensive test against Rayo. Still, with two of the world’s in-form attackers delivering braces on the same night, Flick will take the three points and worry about the fine-tuning later.