Barcelona conceded for the first time this season and were pushed into a genuine contest by a fearless Rayo Vallecano side at Camp Nou, with the visitors creating enough chances to score twice and keep the match in the balance for longer.
Hansi Flick’s team eventually preserved their perfect record and collected their fifth victory by 1 September, but their performance exposed problems that had not previously been visible. Barcelona’s attacking players continued to impress, with Raphinha outstanding and Lamine Yamal increasingly influential. Gordon also worked tirelessly to supply the forwards.
The concerns came at the other end of the pitch. Euro-Futbol.ru gave subjective ratings to three Barcelona players who struggled against Rayo, using six as the starting mark and 10 as the possible maximum.
Pedri – 5.0
Pedri was unable to impose himself on the game and appeared much less assured than usual. There is a growing sense that Hansi Flick may also find it difficult to combine him effectively with Rodri, just as Spain were unable to make that partnership work at the World Cup.
The presence of Rodri seemed to make Pedri more nervous. Although the Barcelona midfielder did not produce an outright poor performance, he was not recognisable as the player supporters have become accustomed to seeing.
His passing was unusually cautious and he rarely tried to accelerate attacks. Pedri also gave the ball away nine times, a notably high figure for him. On two occasions he was dispossessed cleanly, while he lost six of 10 physical duels.
Andreas Christensen – 4.0
Barcelona’s defensive work was largely left to Pau Cubarsi, while Espart made his contribution with an assist. Christensen, by contrast, repeatedly made questionable decisions.
He launched into unnecessary runs and challenges, and gave Rayo a corner in avoidable circumstances. That set-piece led to the visitors’ second goal.
Christensen had moved forward for the corner himself, but failed to make the most of a promising delivery. He also gave the ball away several times when joining attacks and attempting to contribute from midfield.
The Danish defender’s positioning and decision-making left Barcelona vulnerable, particularly as Rayo showed the courage to attack rather than simply defend their own penalty area.
Jules Kounde – 3.0
Jules Kounde was judged to have been even more vulnerable than Christensen. Garcia beat him convincingly before driving into space down the flank and supplying the pass for Rayo Vallecano’s opening goal.
Kounde’s problems became more pronounced as the match moved towards its conclusion. His energy appeared to fade and he began giving the ball away himself, twice being dispossessed close to Barcelona’s penalty area.
He had an opportunity to rescue an otherwise disappointing display when a rebound fell to him, but he was caught offside and the possible goal was ruled out.
Barcelona therefore maintained their winning run, but the match against Rayo provided the first clear warning of the season. Their attack remains productive, yet Flick’s side will need greater control and defensive discipline if they are to avoid dropping points in similar contests.