Yamal, Raphinha Shine as Barcelona Cruise Past Rayo Vallecano 5-2 in La Liga 2026

Barcelona continued their perfect start to the La Liga 2026 season with an impressive 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou. The defending champions fell behind early but responded strongly to take control of the match and secure their third consecutive league victory.

Rayo Vallecano made a quick start and stunned the home crowd in the 12th minute. Sergio Camello found the net after receiving a pass from Alvaro Garcia, giving the visitors an early lead. Barcelona, however, did not take long to respond and soon turned the game around.

Raphinha restored parity in the 19th minute before Lamine Yamal put Barcelona ahead just two minutes later. The young forward finished with a well-placed effort to give his side a 2-1 advantage. Barcelona continued to create chances and looked the more dangerous team as the first half progressed.

The Catalan giants extended their advantage shortly after the restart when Rayo defender Florian Lejeune put the ball into his own net in the 51st minute. The goal gave the hosts a two-goal cushion, but Rayo refused to give up.

Camello scored his second goal of the night in the 59th minute to make it 3-2 and give Rayo renewed hope. His header brought the visitors back into the contest, but Barcelona quickly regained control and prevented their opponents from completing a comeback.

Raphinha then made the difference again in the 71st minute. The Brazilian forward scored his second of the match after being played through by Anthony Gordon, restoring Barcelona's two-goal lead. 

With the match entering its final stages, Yamal struck again in the 90th minute, finding the net for the second time after receiving a pass from Karim Adeyemi. His late strike put the result beyond doubt and completed an excellent individual display.

The victory leaves Barcelona with a perfect nine points from their opening three league matches. They are level on points with Real Madrid but sit at the top of the table thanks to their superior goal difference. Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, remain in 18th place with just one point from their opening three games.

Barcelona will now look to carry this momentum into their next league fixture against Valencia, while Rayo will aim to recover from another difficult result as they search for their first win of the season.