Rayo Vallecano held Barcelona to a draw in a La Liga match that was marred by issues with the video assistant referee (VAR) technology, causing the Catalan giants to drop points for the first time this season.
Barcelona took the lead in the 40th minute through a penalty converted by teenager Lamine Yamal, who was brought down by Rayo Vallecano defender Pep Chavarria. However, controversy surrounded the decision as VAR was not functioning at the time, preventing the incident from being reviewed.
Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, made his third appearance for Barcelona, coming on as a substitute for Raphinha in the 62nd minute. Despite struggling to make an impact on the game, Rashford provided a brilliant corner that was headed over by Eric Garcia.
Rayo Vallecano equalized in the 67th minute through Fran Perez’s superb volley from a corner, leveling the score. Both teams had chances to take the lead, with Jorge de Frutos and Sergio Camello coming close for Rayo Vallecano, but Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia made crucial saves to keep the scoreline level.
Barcelona, who had won their first two La Liga matches, now find themselves in fourth place with seven points from three games. Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao are currently leading the table with two points ahead after securing three consecutive wins.
What happened with the VAR technology?
BBC Sport’s Spanish football expert Guillem Balague shed light on the VAR system malfunction during the game, stating that the referee was unable to access VAR pictures due to technical issues. While there were brief moments when the pictures were restored, they were lost again soon after.
As a result, the crucial penalty decision could not be reviewed by VAR, leading to heated discussions among the teams. Despite the controversy, Balague mentioned that upon closer inspection, the referee’s decision appeared to be correct.
Overall, the match between Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona highlighted the importance of VAR technology in modern football and the need for its seamless operation to avoid contentious situations.
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