On an absolute disgrace of a pitch at Vallecas, it’s a wonder that Barcelona were able to play anything like their normal game against Rayo Vallecano.
Even if one took the view that the situation was exactly the same for both teams, such a poor surface this early in the season embarrasses the club and La Liga.
Games in this part of the Spanish capital are always exciting affairs — and this one was no different — so let’s take a look at three talking points from the game.
Hansi Flick’s new-look defense
To keep both Pau Cubarsí and
Ronald Araujo on the bench was a huge call from Hansi Flick.
What it did do was give the German the opportunity to assess the merits of having a central defensive partnership of Eric García and Andreas Christensen.
Araujo hasn’t started the 2025/26 season well and may therefore find it difficult to get back into the starting XI, whilst Eric’s excellence in the position means that he’s a viable alternative for Cubarsi, assuming that Christensen has been brought in from the cold by his manager.
Right-back Jules Kounde can also swap positions with Eric, giving Flick more options as required.
Wastefulness in front of goal could be a long-term concern
Though Barça led at the break, there were enough chances for them in the first half to be at least two or three clear.
Dani Olmo’s miss right on halftime was the worst and does his attempts at a more permanent employment in the starting lineup no good whatsoever.
He was by no means alone, however, with Raphinha also guilty of missing some gilt-edged chances when well placed.
Of course, the Catalans are always going to get things their own way in an attacking sense, but the very least that should be expected of the front men is that they get their shots on target and work the opposing goalkeeper.
Masterclass from Joan Garcia
It’s still early days in Joan Garcia’s Barcelona career, but the custodian has certainly impressed in the few games that he’s played to date.
Against Rayo, the 24-year-old was called into action on a number of occasions but he was equal to any task set before him.
Decisive in his decision-making, calm under pressure and with excellent distribution, not to mention how adept he was in his shot-stopping, Garcia has to be a permanent fixture between the posts, without doubt.
His save from Jorge de Frutos late in the second-half for example was world-class.
