Rayo Vallecano 1-5 Barcelona: 5 Talking Points

#4 Rayo\'s error strewn nature must be corrected

It’s something that might not be mentioned in most post-match reports, but Rayo Vallecano were the better side in the opening 20 minutes. The hosts’ bright start, however, went completely down the drain in the 21st minute as Rayo keeper, Juan Carlos, gifted the visitors their first goal with a calamitous error, dropping a regulation ball in Rakitic’s path and allowing him to score.

It’s an error that has become quite familiar to the Vallecas faithful, as evidenced by the stat that have made the most errors that have led to a goal than any other La Liga side:

What ought to infuriate the Rayo faithful are the red cards – both players sent off on the night, Diego Llorente and Manuel Iturra, had a strong case for not being sent off. However, Paco Jemez’s side are making this a habit, and quite possibly could have taken something from the game had they ended with 11 men on the pitch.