Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano score, result: Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha can’t score in 0-0 La Liga opener

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For all the financial levers, budgetary gymnastics, and selling off of its media properties, FC Barcelona could do no better than a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano in the 2022/23 La Liga opener at the Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana only registered four of their five new acquisitions on the eve of the season opener given the financial challenges the club has been navigating this summer, but even with Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Franck Kessie, they could not find a way to break through. It’s the third straight match against Rayo that Barcelona have been unable to score dating back to last season.

Not only did Rayo hold Barca, but they had the best scoring chances in the match. Barcelona ‘keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen had to come up with a big stop in the first half on a point-blank shot, and Rayo thought they had a goal at the death, but Radamel Falcao was offside earlier in the play.

Lewandowski was the prize catch of the summer for Barcelona, but he did not get many clear looks. He didn’t get a penalty call when he was manhandled on a set piece right under the nose of the referee in the first half. He had a few more opportunities in the second half, but he could not hit the frame.

Dropping points at home was not the way that Xavi Hernandez was hoping to start a season in which the goal is to mount a title challenge alongside current champions Real Madrid. To add insult to injury, captain Sergio Busquets was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow after a high arm in the face of Rayo’s Colombian forward Radamel Falcao.

It won’t get much easier for Barcelona in their next La Liga match as they have to travel to face a Real Sociedad team which finished in sixth place last season.

MORE: La Liga standings table 2022/23

Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano final score

  1H 2H Final
Barcelona 0 0 0
Rayo Vallecano 0 0 0

Goals:
None

Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano live updates, highlights from La Liga

Final: Barcelona 0, Rayo Vallecano 0

95th min.: Rayo score! Radamel Falcao knocks it home, but he was offside on the original shot stopped by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. What a wild finish to this one.

94th min.: Sergio Busquets sent off! Barcelona down to 10 men after the Barcelona captain gets a second yellow for a high arm into the face of Radamel Falcao. It’s a second yellow and Busquets is off.

90th min.: Eight minutes of stoppage time.

88th min.: Franck Kessie scores after an Ansu Fati shot was blocked by the ‘keeper, but it’s disallowed because Kessie was offside on the original pass.

84th min.: Auba’s shot is cleared off the line by a defender and Robert Lewandowski can’t put the rebound on frame. It’s frantic now.

79th min.: SUBS — Rayo bring in Salvi Sanchez for Isi Palazon at right wing, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang comes in for Jordi Alba as Barcelona go to a 3-4-3 to end the match.

76th min.: Moments after Robert Lewandowski falls to the ground in the box (no penalty), Franck Kessie launches a shot that is way off. You can sense the desperation starting to set in. Frenkie de Jong is making a string contribution in attack.

72nd min.: During the hydration break Franck Kessie comes on for Pedri. Manager Xavi Hernandez is running out of options.

69th min.: Sergio Busquets also gives it a go from distance and his effort is stopped by Dimitrievski. Moments later Radamel Falcao hits him with a dangerous tackle and gets a yellow. Only 20 minutes remain for star-studded Barcelona to find a breakthrough.

65th min.: Ansu Fati fires a curler which is parried away by Dimitrievski. Ousmane Dembele found Fati at the top of the Rayo box, but the goalkeeper was ready for it.

60th min.: SUBS — Ansu Fati (for Raphinha), Sergi Roberto (for Andreas Christensen), and Frenkie de Jong (for Gavi). Sergi Roberto will play right back and Ronald Araujo will move to center-back.

As for the Rayo subs: Radamel Falcao is in for Sergio Camello, and Oscar Valentin takes over for Unai Lopez in midfield.

58th min.: Fans are getting on the case of Rayo ‘keeper Stole Dimitrievski for time-wasting. This was his strategy last season when Rayo came away with a big 1-0 win. Changes coming for both teams.

54th min.: Yellow for Rayo center-back Florian Lejeune for pulling back Lewandowski, who had picked his pocket and was breaking forward toward goal.

52nd min.: Another chance for Rayo! Sergio Camello runs onto a ball into space and it’s chaos in the Barcelona defense. But he couldn’t get a clean shot off. He has good footwork, and he caused Barcelona to get into emergency defense mode.

46th min.: The second half is underway and you can already sense the urgency and tension on the Barcelona side. No changes for either side.

Halftime: Barcelona 0, Rayo Vallecano 0

Halftime: That was not a good 45 minutes from Barcelona. Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele saw a ton of the ball, but they weren’t nearly dangerous enough for the touches they had. Robert Lewandowski got one chance and the cross was poor.

If not for key stops by Jordi Alba and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Barcelona could easily have been down a goal. Ronaldo Araujo at right back is having a tough time dealing with Rayo winger Alvaro Garcia. Rayo forward Sergio Camello has also had some nice touches in the Barca box.

There’s work to do for Xavi Hernandez. It’s feeling a little bit like last season.

Halftime: The referee controversially ends the first half with the ball on Raphinha’s foot in the box and with space to operate. He doesn’t give them a chance to finish out the play and the bench is livid.

47th min.: What a stop by Ter Stegen! Alvaro Garcia wide left gets into the box and Ter Stegen comes off his line to cut the angle and block the ball with his chest. That was the best chance of the game.

45th min.: Jordi Alba makes a key defensive intervention in the box to clear a cross that was heading to Rayo’s Isi Palazon. Five minutes of stoppage time. Meanwhile, Oscar Trejo gets a yellow for stopping a Barcelona transition.

37th min.: Moments after Pedri sent a curler that just missed the post, Robert Lewandowski gets a header off, but the ball from Raphinha was behind him. Barcelona are pouring it on now.

35th min.: Ousmane Dembele is now on the right, where he looks more comfortable. He gets the ball and creates a shot for himself that Rayo ‘keeper Stole Dimitrievski stops without giving up a rebound.

32nd min.: Rayo Vallecano gets the first threat after the break on a set piece. The visitors are showing they can cause problems.

27th min.: Hydration break. Both coaches are animated as they give instructions to their players.

20th min.: Raphinha with a shot from the top of the box that goes high. The Brazilian has been very active. Moments later the other winger, Ousmane Dembele also fires on goal.

For now these two players are bringing a different dimension to the Barcelona attack with their 1-on-1 ability and their desire to make things happen.

14th min.: Yellow card to Dembele on a dangerous tackle on Pathe Ciss in an attempt to win the ball back. It’s the right call. Barcelona are aggressive, with and without the ball.

12th min.: Lewandowski with a delicious chipped goal, but it’s disallowed because he was offside on the ball to him in the box.

10th min.: Quiet start to this one until Raphinha makes a run into the right side of the Rayo box and goes down on a challenge from the left back. But there’s nothing there. Good no call by the referee.

1st min.: Rayo kick off and they’re aggressive from the start with a direct ball, and they’re pressing high. Meanwhile, Raphinha starts on the right and Dembele on the left.

5 mins from kickoff: Teams are walking out on the field. Cameras are locked on Robert Lewandowski. We’re moments away from kickoff

20 mins from kickoff: Robert Lewandowski is just getting warmed up.

30 mins from kickoff: Barcelona have four wins and two draws in the six matches that Pedro and Gavi have played together in La Liga.

60 mins from kickoff: Tonight’s match should have the feel of a big occasion.

Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano lineups

With the summer signings registered and ready to play, Xavi Hernandez opts for this most productive and balanced lineup during preseason. Big names like Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Frenkie De Jong, and Sergino Dest, who also happen to be in demand on the transfer market, will start on the bench.

Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (GK) — 4-Ronald Araujo, 15-Andreas Christensen, 24-Eric Garcia, 18-Jordi Alba — 30-Gavi, 5-Sergio Busquets, 8-Pedri — 7-Ousmane Dembele, 9-Robert Lewandowski, 22-Raphinha.

Barcelona subs (12): 26-Inaki Pena (GK), 36-Arnau Tenas (GK), 3-Gerard Pique, 20-Sergi Roberto, 28-Alejandro Balde, 16-Miralem Pjanic, 19-Franck Kessie, 21-Frenkie De Jong, 10-Ansu Fati, 11-Ferran Torres, 14-Memphis Depay, 17-Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

MORE: Full Barcelona squad list & player numbers for 2022/23 season

Rayo Vallecano finished the season in poor form, but still wound up in mid-table (12th). They could use some more production out of the forward position: Sergio Camello has won the starting spot over 36-year-old Colombian forward Radamel Falcao, who lost his place in the lineup last season. Luca Zidane and Sergi Guardiola, the sons of Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guardiola, both left the club this summer and are no longer with the team.

Rayo Vallecano starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 13-Stole Dimitrievski (GK) — 20-Ivan Balliu, 19-Florian Lejeune, 5-Alejandro Catena, 3-Fran Garcia — 17-Unai Lopez, 8-Oscar Trejo, 21-Ismaila Pathe Ciss — 7-Isi Palazon, 16-Sergio Camello, 18-Alvaro Garcia.

Rayo Vallecano subs (12): 1-Diego Lopez (GK), 30-M. Morro (GK), 2-Mario Hernandez, 4-Mario Suarez, 10-Bebe, 11-Randy Nteka, 14-Salvi Sanchez, 23-Oscar Valentin, 22-Jose Pozo, 28-Pablo Munoz, 29-Diego Mendez, 9-Radamel Falcao

Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano TV channel, live stream

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Sat, Aug. 13 Sat, Aug. 13 Sat, Aug. 13 Sun, Aug. 14
Time 20:00 BST 15:00 ET 15:00 ET 05:00 AET
TV channel Premier Sports 1,
LaLiga TV		 ABC, ESPN Deportes  —  —
Streaming Premier Player HD,
Amazon Prime Video		 fuboTV, ESPN+ TSN Optus Sport

UK: The match from the Camp Nou can be seen on Premier Sports 1 or LaLiga TV in the UK. In addition to being a TV channel, LaLiga TV streams on Amazon Prime Video in the region.

USA: Saturday’s match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano will be broadcast in the USA on ABC (English) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish), which are both available to be streamed on fuboTV. 

Canada: The match will be streamed by La Liga partner TSN in Canada.

Australia: All La Liga matches are available to stream on Optus Sport in Australia.

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