Raphinha and Lamine Yamal both scored twice as Barcelona rolled past Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at the Camp Nou on Monday to maintain their perfect start to the season and jump to the top of the LaLiga table.
Vallecano opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Alvaro Garcia skipped past Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and laid a pass into the box for Sergio Camello, who tucked it past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.
Defending champions Barcelona, who dominated possession in the first half, got their equaliser in the 19th minute as Raphinha took a quick pass from Xavi Espart, shimmied into the box and slotted home.
Lamine put them ahead two minutes later with a curling left-footed effort from just inside the box that sailed into the top corner of the net. The 19-year-old’s stunning strike was his 50th goal for the Catalan club.
Hansi Flick’s side thought they had a third goal when Kounde pounced on a spilled save from Vallecano keeper Daniel Cardenas, but it was ruled offside after a VAR review.
But the hosts added to their lead shortly after the break when Anthony Gordon’s cross into the box bounced off the foot of Vallecano defender Florian Lejeune and into the net in the 51st minute.
The visitors pulled one back when Camello headed home a corner from Unai Lopez in the 59th minute, but Barcelona came knocking once more.
With 20 minutes to go, Gordon latched onto a long ball from Kounde and cut into the box before setting up Raphinha with a clever back heel. The Brazilian, again playing up front, sliced it past Cardenas for his fifth league goal in three matches.
Vallecano had another chance to get back into the game in the 82nd minute, but midfielder Randy Nteka’s left-footed shot from the centre of the box was saved by Barcelona keeper Garcia.
Barcelona wrapped up the scoring in the 90th minute when Karim Adeyemi played a short pass to Lamine, who sent a perfectly placed low strike from outside the box past a diving Cardenas.
Barcelona moved top of the table with nine points, sitting ahead of Real Madrid, who also have nine points, on goal difference. Vallecano are 18th with no wins and one point after three matches.- Reuters
