BARCELONA: Rayo Vallecano forward Alvaro Garcia netted an early goal to give his side a surprise 1-0 win against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Sunday, moving Real Madrid another step closer to sealing their 35th La Liga title.

Garcia sealed the game for the visitors when he opened the scoring in the seventh minute, receiving the ball inside the box and rifling it past goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to a wave of whistles at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona failed to convert a number of golden chances despite going agonisingly close to an equaliser with the referee playing 14 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half.

This loss comes after they were beaten at home by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals and then defeated by Cadiz in La Liga, also 1-0.

“These mistakes cannot be repeated and they have happened to us again. They are very good opportunities that we let pass us by,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez told reporters. “I leave angry, disappointed, because today was ... a repeat of what happened against Eintracht, as well as Cadiz. We lacked a lot of effectiveness.”

Real now need only one point from their last five games to secure the title, while Barcelona are second on 63 points, 15 behind Real and level with Sevilla in third.

While Barcelona have a better head-to-head, Carlo Ancelotti’s side know they will be uncatchable if they take just a point from Espanyol on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona should still have enough for the top four given they sit six points clear of Real Betis in fifth, with five games left to play, but winning this game in hand against an out-of-form Rayo side would certainly have made the run-in more comfortable.

“I think we generated many clear chances to at least equalise. If we equalised with enough time, I think we would have won it. We have complicated our own qualification for the Champions League,” Xavi added.

“If we want to hear the music of the Champions League next season, we have to match [the Champions League teams] in their enthusiasm.

“There are games that get complicated because we don’t start how we should. It’s a shame because it was a golden opportunity.”

Instead, their form, as much as their position, will be a real concern for coach Xavi, whose team have now won only twice in their last six matches.

“We’re struggling a lot at home,” said Sergio Busquets. “We’re in this negative dynamic at Camp Nou. We have a cushion and we had a chance to take advantage but we haven’t managed it.”

Barca next host relegation-threatened Mallorca on Sunday. Rayo, who moved up to 11th from 14th in the standings following the game which was originally scheduled to be played in January, are home to Real Sociedad earlier that day.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2022