Barcelona

The Barcelona XI is in: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Eric, Christensen, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Gavi, Pedri; Dembele, Lewandowski, Raphinha Lineups are announced.

Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Óscar Trejo (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Barcelona's best chance in the opening 20 minutes as both wingers link up. Isi Palazón (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Sergio Camello (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Óscar Trejo (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Pedri (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Isi Palazón (Rayo Vallecano) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

FC Barcelona will have all but one of their star acquisitions this summer when they host Rayo Vallecano in the start of the 2022/23 La Liga season during ...

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. 1st min.: Rayo kick off and they're aggressive from the start with a direct ball, and they're pressing high. 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. He doesn't give them a chance to finish out the play and the bench is livid. Barcelona are aggressive, with and without the ball. He tried to make the best of a poor Raphinha cross in the first half, and then he had a chance to be the hero with six minutes remaining, but he could not contort his body quickly enough to take advantage of a rebound allowed by the Rayo 'keeper. That was the best chance of the game. 52nd min.: Another chance for Rayo! Sergio Camello runs onto a ball into space and it's chaos in the Barcelona defense. The Dutch do-it-all player gave Barcelona a lift when he came off the bench to play midfield. To add insult to injury, captain Sergio Busquets was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after a high arm in the face of Rayo's Falcao. Lewandowski was the prize catch of the summer for Barcelona, and he was supposed to help resolve matches like these with opponents interested only in defending and countering. And there are plenty more of these matches left on the calendar.

FC Barcelona will have all but one of their star acquisitions this summer when they host Rayo Vallecano in the start of the 2022/23 La Liga season during ...

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. 1st min.: Rayo kick off and they're aggressive from the start with a direct ball, and they're pressing high. With the summer signings registered and ready to play, Xavi Hernandez opts for this most productive and balanced lineup during preseason. 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. Barcelona are aggressive, with and without the ball. He doesn't give them a chance to finish out the play and the bench is livid. That was the best chance of the game. 52nd min.: Another chance for Rayo! Sergio Camello runs onto a ball into space and it's chaos in the Barcelona defense. To add insult to injury, captain Sergio Busquets was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after a high arm in the face of Rayo's Falcao. The Dutch do-it-all player gave Barcelona a lift when he came off the bench to play midfield. Lewandowski was the prize catch of the summer for Barcelona, and he was supposed to help resolve matches like these with opponents interested only in defending and countering. Barcelona needed more improvisation, creativity, and sharpness from the two.

Barcelona kicked off their La Liga campaign vs Rayo Vallecano tonight in front of a near-sold out Camp Nou. Three new signings in the form of Robert ...

The Pole could have won a penalty in any other league, but it was not to be with La Liga’s referees. His off-the-ball runs caught Rayo off-guard often, and he even forced a solid save from Stole Dimitrievski. Garcia, on the contrary, was rather careless. Eventually, he was sent off in injury time. Christensen had the best game of all debutants tonight. Araujo started as a right-back, and looked unsurprisingly out of his depth in possession.

Barcelona were held to a disappointing goalless draw by Rayo Vallecano as a summer of uncertainty off the pitch spilled over into their LaLiga opener at Camp Nou on Saturday. Barca's frustration was then amplified in stoppage time when Sergio Busquets ...

Another of the new signings, Raphinha, then had Barcelona's clearest chance of the first half to break the deadlock. It's a shame because we wanted to show the fans that we're on a good path. "We will have to analyse the game, improve and keep believing in the model of play.

Barcelona will be hoping to start their 2022-23 La Liga campaign with a win when they host Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Saturday.

They have been prudent in the transfer market and have bolstered their squad with mostly free agents and loan deals. Rayo Head coach Iraola has no injury concerns to deal with before the game and has the full squad available to him. Rayo Vallecano squad and team news The Liga fixture will be broadcast in the United Kingdom on Premier Sports 1 and La Liga TV. It will be available to stream live through Premier Player. Meanwhile, Rayo achieved their best league finish in half a decade as they ended their 2021-22 campaign in 13th spot after getting promoted to the top flight last season. Barcelona will be hoping to start their 2022-23 La Liga campaign with a win when they host Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Saturday. The Catalans finished second in the league last season, 13 points adrift of champions Real Madrid, and will be aiming to bring back the Liga trophy to Catalunya following several key signings in the summer.

As things stand, Balde is serving as the deputy for experienced first-choice left-back Jordi Alba. If the situation continues to remain the same, the youngster ...

With his contract expiring in 2023, the Spaniard is unlikely to cost a fortune either. The Spanish journalist suggests Barça are convinced Balde’s time at the club’s reserve side, Barça Atletic, is over. However, a move away from Camp Nou remains a possibility as Barcelona, despite rating Balde highly, prefer the addition of a more experienced option in the position.

Manchester United's pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has taken a number of twists and turns over the summer, and there could still be more to go in the next few ...

He has offers but we want him to stay and he wants to stay," However, in addition to the player's own preference, Ten Hag's side have to contend with interest from Chelsea if De Jong is to move. United's failure to qualify for the Champions League could be a factor if the midfielder does move on. However, there are a lot of things we have to improve. “We have a lot of competition for the starting positions. We had a good pre-season in terms of matches and results.

Xavi's new signings couldn't make an impact at Camp Nou in their first LaLiga match of the season, with Lewandowski failing to find the net.

It's a shame because we wanted to show the fans that we're on a good path. We will have to analyse the game, improve and keep believing in the model of play. Luis Suarez's goal in 2019 was the Catalan's last against Rayo. That's not down to luck. The pre-game optimism of the 81,000 fans at Camp Nou turned to whistles in the second half as Dimitrievski time wasted at every opportunity. He made six saves in total on a memorable opening day for Rayo. No one deserves too much criticism for Barca dropping points, but left-back Jordi Alba was perhaps the player furthest away from his best. Luckily for Barca, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was in good form to ensure they didn't suffer a third straight defeat to Andoni Iraola's team. Iraola is a fantastic young coach and he has some talented players, despite not having a penny to spend. Busquets was shown a late red card for a second booking. When Lewandowski did beat him early in the first half, the flag went up. Barca do not have enough salary space to register the defender yet. Since losing to Rayo in April, Barca have spent over €150 million on new players.

Robert Lewandowski has endured a frustrating debut for Barcelona after Rayo Vallecano earned a scoreless draw at Camp Nou in their Spanish league opener.

I am happy for the effort of my team and for having neutralized a great rival.” Nicolas Jackson scored his first topflight goal in the 50th. “We had generated a lot of expectations, but this is just the beginning. Iraola’s team, led by midfielders midfielders Isi Palazón and Óscar Trejo, erased all the passing lanes for Lewandowski. Barcelona was unable to find the answer through Raphinha and Dembélé, who both wasted the one good chance they each got. The biggest applause Lewandowski heard from the crowd was to show their appreciation for his hustle on defense late in the match with Barcelona stymied in attack. “It is too bad because we wanted to show our fans that we are on the right path,” Xavi said.

Barcelona were forced to settle for a point in their La Liga opener, thrashing out a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.

He took 15 in total, the lowest of any Barca player. Alejandro Catena (Rayo Vallecano). Much of the credit for containing Lewandowski must go to Rayo’s centre-backs, with Catena and Florian Lejeune both putting in rock-solid performances. It’s only the second time in a home game, the last being their 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad in September 1968. While Lewandowski was much improved in the second half, he ultimately couldn’t find a way past Rayo’s defence. That seemed to throw off the former Leeds man, who went on to squander a series of set-pieces and presentable chances. He looked destined to score, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen managed to smother the shot at close range.

Frenkie de Jong's future at Barcelona is expected to be resolved very soon, with reports from Spain claiming he could still join Manchester United.

- Man United willing to make Frenkie de Jong their highest earner De Jong is said to be angry at his treatment by Barca who are said to have offered him a reduced salary packet to allow him to stay put. SPORT say United are readying a 'total offensive' to finally get a deal done for De Jong, who has also been closely linked to Chelsea. The same report adds that De Jong has indicated to teammates that a move to Old Trafford could now happen.

Sergio Busquets was sent off as Robert Lewandowski's Barcelona debut against Rayo Vallecano ended in a frustrating stalemate.

Elsewhere, Oliver Burke scored a 95th-minute equaliser after coming off the bench as Werder Bremen came from behind to draw 2-2 at home to Stuttgart, and Schalke needed a Marius Bulter penalty in the third minute of stoppage time to match their feat against Borussia Monchengladbach. The home side had Youssouf Fofana sent off for a challenge on Martin Terrier with just 15 minutes gone and trailed to Gaetan Laborde’s 59th-minute goal before Embolo intervened. Assan Ceesay’s equaliser looked to have claimed a point for Lecce, but substitute Denzel Dumfries won it for the visitors in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Goals from Iago Aspas and Goncalo Paciencia either side of half-time looked to have put the hosts in the driving seat, but Edu Exposito halved the deficit with 18 minutes remaining before Joselu held his nerve to earn a point. Joselu won and converted a penalty in the eighth minute of added time as Espanyol staged a remarkable fightback to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo. The Spain midfielder was dismissed for a second bookable offence in stoppage time at the Nou Camp on a night when Lewandowski was unable to open his LaLiga account at the first time of asking.

Despite a scramble to register its new star acquisitions the day before the La Liga season opener, they couldn't help FC Barcelona find the back of the net ...

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. 1st min.: Rayo kick off and they're aggressive from the start with a direct ball, and they're pressing high. 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. He doesn't give them a chance to finish out the play and the bench is livid. Barcelona are aggressive, with and without the ball. He tried to make the best of a poor Raphinha cross in the first half, and then he had a chance to be the hero with six minutes remaining, but he could not contort his body quickly enough to take advantage of a rebound allowed by the Rayo 'keeper. That was the best chance of the game. 52nd min.: Another chance for Rayo! Sergio Camello runs onto a ball into space and it's chaos in the Barcelona defense. The Dutch do-it-all player gave Barcelona a lift when he came off the bench to play midfield. To add insult to injury, captain Sergio Busquets was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after a high arm in the face of Rayo's Falcao. Lewandowski was the prize catch of the summer for Barcelona, and he was supposed to help resolve matches like these with opponents interested only in defending and countering. And there are plenty more of these matches left on the calendar.

Barcelona wants to offload the 25-year-old to balance the books and have enough room in its budget to register new defender Jules Kounde but De Jong appears ...

How are we allowing ourselves to be put in a position like that? And he's looking around and saying "not for me." It's all or nothing for him, he no longer has anything to lose.'

Robert Lewandowski's Barcelona debut ended in a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou in their first LaLiga game of the season on ...

Maybe the pressure and expectation got a little under our skin," Xavi told DAZN. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Sergio Busquets was sent off as Robert Lewandowski's Barcelona debut against Rayo Vallecano ended in a frustrating stalemate. The Spain midfielder was dis.

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As reported by Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, midfielder Frenkie de Jong has decided to prioritize Chelsea over Manchester United if he is to leave ...

McGrath writes that Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is looking to add one more player, and Frenkie de Jong suits the bill to perfection. It’s clear that Barcelona are not ruling out de Jong’s departure as they understand his exit would free up significant space in terms of finances. The Red Devils had an agreement in place with Barcelona for long but given their absence in the UEFA Champions League, they were unable to convince the midfielder to become their new signing.

The Catalans dominated the game and had 21 shots as opposed to Rayo's meagre four. Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Busquets came very close ...

The pressure is now on Xavi to work out a solution. After the game, Andoni Iraola revealed that they had a special plan to neutralise Lewandowski’s threat. In 90 minutes, he made four saves to deny the Blaugranas a goal, including two from inside the box. The hosts had a staggering 21 shots on goal, including six on target. They dominated the game with close to 70% possession and had eight corner kicks. The season is long, and this is just the start.

Sergio Busquets was sent off as Robert Lewandowski's Barcelona debut against Rayo Vallecano ended in a frustrating stalemate.

The home side had Youssouf Fofana sent off for a challenge on Martin Terrier with just 15 minutes gone and trailed to Gaetan Laborde’s 59th-minute goal before Embolo intervened. Falaye Sacko’s own goal set the ball rolling before Neymar added a second from the penalty spot and then headed home a third. Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring with 49 minutes gone, but Baena killed off any hopes of a fightback with 81st and 90th-minute strikes. Goals from Iago Aspas and Goncalo Paciencia either side of half-time looked to have put the hosts in the driving seat, but Edu Exposito halved the deficit with 18 minutes remaining before Joselu held his nerve to earn a point. Joselu won and converted a penalty in the eighth minute of added time as Espanyol staged a remarkable fightback to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo. The Spain midfielder was dismissed for a second bookable offence in stoppage time at the Nou Camp on a night when Lewandowski was unable to open his LaLiga account at the first time of asking.

Former champions Barcelona were off to a frustrating start to their La Liga 2022-23 campaign as the side remained unable taste the triumph as Rayo Vallecano ...

Things got even more frustrating for the side in the extra time as their captain Sergios Busquets walked off the field after being given a red card. Iago Aspas scored in the final minutes of the first half to give Celta Vigo the lead, and Goncalo Paciencia scored in the 63rd minute to give the side a solid 2-0 lead. SPAIN: Former champions Barcelona were off to a frustrating start to their La Liga 2022-23 campaign as the side remained unable taste the triumph as Rayo Vallecano held their nerves to force a draw.

Tuchel still wants a striker to replace Romelu Lukaku, who returned to Inter Milan on loan at the start of the summer. And former Arsenal captain Aubameyang has ...

“It was a fantastic relationship but we have to respect his decision. “I know a lot of people miss him a lot. “He was a huge help for me, an enormous support I never experienced before in his kind of honesty.

The Blaugrana have already made some eye-catching additions, none more than the signing of Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. However, they are still ...

Barcelona boss Xavi sees the ex-Arsenal captain as an important part of his plans and wants to keep him at the club. The 33-year-old Gabonese hitman is attracting serious interest from Premier League giants Chelsea, who are desperate to add a new No. 9 to their roster. However, given Barcelona’s financial situation, funding a move for the Portuguese international could prove tricky.

Barcelona could not find a way past Rayo Vallecano on Saturday night, in what can only be classified as a disappointing start to their La Liga campaign.

While Barcelona have recruited a number of star signings this summer, but Pedri has all the talent to be the key cog in their midfield. Shortly after in the 72nd minute, he was withdrawn from the action in favour of Franck Kessie. Yet they will be grateful that it was not worse.

Former Netherlands attacking midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has expressed his discontent with the whole Frenkie de Jong situation, saying that Barcelona ...

But as of now, we judge it differently and I find it a disgrace when you play for them,” he concluded. Van der Vaart also added that this kind of treatment is putting Barcelona in a bad place. You sign a contract and then you fulfil the contract or leave on good terms, but not like this.

Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen were all registered last week after the club sold a further 24.5 per cent of Barca ...

'Exits are still being worked on. Barcelona president Joan Laporta refused to rule out further signings this summer despite the LaLiga club struggling to register all their new players. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, seen with new signing Robert Lewandowski, hasn't ruled out the possibility of further signings this summer

Chelsea have reportedly stepped up their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and have submitted an offer worth nearly €14 million for the veteran striker.

The Blues are also willing to double Aubameyang’s salary, which has temped the Gabonese international. The journalist also reports that Thomas Tuchel is pushing for the transfer, and wants Chelsea to match Barcelona’s asking price of €25 million. Barcelona are willing to continue negotiations with Chelsea as Memphis Depay’s potential move to Juventus has been halted.

Barcelona's transfer dealings this summer continue to surprise and with just under three weeks remaining in the transfer market, there might be more to come ...

Barcelona have plenty of depth in attack and MD believe that the Azulgrana would consider an exit if it meant being able to bid for Bernardo Silva. Lewandowski’s position is likely the only guaranteed spot in Xavi Hernandez’s front three and Raphinha, Ferran Torres, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati are fighting it out for the other two, but both Fati and Torres have played through the middle before. Yet Chelsea have shown a strong interest in him and former manager Thomas Tuchel is very keen on a reunion in London. Given Aubameyang will likely play second fiddle to Robert Lewandowski, it might create the conditions necessary for an exit. According to Mundo Deportivo, Aubameyang is happy in Barcelona both in terms of his life and with the team.

Sergio Busquets was sent off as Barca were forced to settle for a goalless draw.

"I'm really happy with my goal and I think it was a really important point for us. The fans were incredible; they support us the entire time as if it's the final minutes of the game." Elsewhere, Oliver Burke scored a 95th-minute equaliser after coming off the bench as Werder Bremen came from behind to draw 2-2 at home to Stuttgart, and Schalke needed a Marius Bulter penalty in the third minute of stoppage time to match their feat against Borussia Monchengladbach. Assan Ceesay’s equaliser looked to have claimed a point for Lecce, but substitute Denzel Dumfries won it for the visitors in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Joselu won and converted a penalty in the eighth minute of added time as Espanyol staged a remarkable fightback to draw 2-2 at Celta Vigo. The Spain midfielder was dismissed for a second bookable offence in stoppage time at the Nou Camp on a night when Lewandowski was unable to open his LaLiga account at the first time of asking.

Chelsea have already had a bid rejected for Barcelona striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, with Thomas Tuchel searching for a new No.9 in the transfer window.

United have also been linked with the player, with Erik ten Hag hoping to add another forward to his squad before the deadline. According to Toni Juanmartí, Barcelona have rejected a €14million bid from Chelsea for the experienced forward. Aubameyang has been mentioned as a possible target, after he scored 68 Premier League goals for Arsenal in his four-year spell at the Emirates Stadium.

The reporters in Spain have been confident since the beginning in regards to Bernardo Silva joining Barcelona this summer, and they are now suggesting the ...

Bernardo Silva is certainly open to a move to the club, but Manchester City do not want to lose the midfielder. According to Javi Miguel, Bernardo Silva will join Barcelona this summer, and it will be irrespective of whether Frenkie De Jong stays at the club or not. Time will tell if that performance was his last.

Bernardo is a firm fan favourite at the Etihad and received a rousing reception when he emerged from the bench against Bournemouth on Saturday. Fans sang his ...

So we have to keep going, play as a team and especially act." Erik ten Hag, who worked with De Jong at Ajax, was left fuming on the touchline as four quickfire goals saw the Red Devils go into the break 4-0 down. After the game, Ten Hag admitted: "It's a surprise when you start the game like this; in 35 minutes conceding four goals. So, the team has to take responsibility. They give everything to support us and we let them down. It may be a tough sell to convince the 25-year-old to join United after their hammering at the hands of Brentford on Saturday afternoon.