In the away match at Vallecano in the early morning of September 1 (Vietnam time), Barca started the match cautiously. The advantage came to the away team in the 40th minute when Lamine Yamal successfully converted the penalty, after defender Chavarria committed a foul in the penalty area.
The controversial decision, especially in the context of the VAR system having a problem, forced the referee to handle the first half entirely based on direct observation.
However, Rayo Vallecano under the leadership of coach Inigo Perez are not at a disadvantage. High-level pressing, rich in physical strength, helped the home team create many dangerous situations and caused Barca to constantly get caught up in one-on-one disputes. After many efforts, Fran Perez scored the equalizer in the 67th minute with a close-range finish from a corner kick by Isi Palazon.
In the final minutes, the two teams played tit for tat. Barca had opportunities from Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres but failed to capitalise, while Vallecano took full advantage of the opponent's quick counter-attacks thanks to the offside trap system. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia became a bright spot with 5 saves, thereby helping Barca keep a point.
With this result, Barca has 7 points after 3 rounds and is temporarily 4th in the rankings, 2 points behind Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
