FC Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2 in the third matchday of LaLiga, a result that leaves Beñat San José's team in 18th place with just one point. The week was marked by public support from Barça president Joan Laporta for Rayo's stadium conflict and the arrival of goalkeeper Emil Audero on loan.
Why is Laporta defending Rayo Vallecano?
Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, called the situation preventing Rayo Vallecano from playing at the Estadio de Vallecas a "disgrace" and an "injustice". Laporta made these statements after meeting with Rayo president Raúl Martín Presa and his inner circle. "It's a disgrace what they are doing to Rayo. It's very unfair." said the Catalan executive.
Rayo has been unable to play its first three home matches at Vallecas due to the venue's closure for regulatory breaches. The club hoped to receive approval from the Community of Madrid for the next match against Racing de Santander, but the request was denied again. This situation complicates the sporting planning for a team trying to climb out of the relegation zone, where it sits with a record of zero wins, one draw, and two losses.
Who replaces the injured Augusto Batalla?
Rayo Vallecano announced the signing of goalkeeper Emil Audero on Wednesday, on loan from Como 1907 until the end of the season. The 29-year-old Indonesian footballer arrives to cover for the absence of Augusto Batalla, who broke his tibia in the first league match and will miss a large part of the campaign. Until now, Dani Cárdenas had been the replacement in goal.
The big question now is who will start between the posts in the upcoming fixtures. The arrival of Audero, with experience in Italy's Serie A, offers an alternative for Beñat San José. The team urgently needs to improve its defensive performance after conceding eight goals in just three games, resulting in a -4 goal difference. You can check the full status of the squad on our site.
How did Rayo lose at Camp Nou?
Rayo Vallecano fell 5-2 to FC Barcelona last Monday, August 31st, at the Spotify Camp Nou, according to the match summary published by Depor. Sergio Camello put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute, capitalizing on a defensive mistake, but Barça quickly turned the game around with goals from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. Camello scored again in the second half to make it 3-2 temporarily, but Raphinha and Yamal sealed the rout.
The match was notable for the LaLiga debut of Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim with Barcelona. The 18-year-old came on in the 86th minute, becoming the first footballer of his nationality to play for the Blaugrana first team in official competition. For Rayo, the match confirmed its defensive problems, although it showed attacking capability by scoring twice against the league leaders, from whom they are now eight points behind.
What is Rayo's next fixture?
Rayo Vallecano will host Racing de Santander on Saturday, September 5th, although once again it will not be at Vallecas. The Cantabrian team occupies tenth place in the table, making it a key opportunity for the red-striped team to earn its first three points of the season. The inability to play in their own stadium adds an extra difficulty for a team that urgently needs to react.
The squad will work this week to correct the defensive errors that have cost them eight goals against. The official schedule, available on our fixtures page, shows a sequence of important matches in the coming weeks. Beñat San José's team will look to turn its fortunes around away from the relegation places, starting with the duel against Racing.
