Barcelona secured a 1-0 victory against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, relying on a first-half header from Ronald Araujo to maintain their perfect La Liga home record this season.
Okay News reports that Hansi Flick’s side struggled to hit top gear during the fiercely intense encounter. The decisive moment arrived in the 24th minute when Araujo rose above the crowd at the far post to head home from a corner. The strike marked Barcelona’s 11th league goal from corner kicks this season, the highest tally of any team in the competition.
Despite the early advantage, the Catalans were forced to endure several nervous moments. Forward Raphinha was lively throughout the first half but saw a brilliant effort pushed onto the crossbar by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla.
As Barcelona’s own chances dried up in the second half, they leaned heavily on crucial saves from goalkeeper Joan García and capitalized on a glaring miss by Rayo’s Pacha Espino to preserve the clean sheet.
The victory means Barcelona heads into the final international break of the season having won all 14 of their home matches in the league. The three points also momentarily push them seven points clear at the top of the table ahead of title rivals Real Madrid.
