March 22, (THEWILL) — Barcelona moved seven points clear at the top of LaLiga after Ronald Araujo’s first-half header earned a nervy 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.
Vallecano almost took the lead inside the opening minute when Joan Garcia produced a stunning close-range stop to deny Carlos Martin following a rapid counter-attack. Raphinha wasted two opportunities at the other end, with Augusto Batalla saving on both occasions.
The breakthrough arrived on 24 minutes when Araujo, the captain, nodded home from Joao Cancelo’s corner to give Hansi Flick’s side the lead they needed.
Batalla denied Raphinha again from a deflected effort shortly after the goal, and Lamine Yamal struck just wide in the 57th minute as Barcelona looked to put the result beyond doubt.
Vallecano, who had reached the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals in midweek, pushed hard for a late equaliser. Garcia’s smart stop to deny Jorge de Frutos in the 89th minute proved crucial, completing a fifth successive league victory for Flick’s men.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
