Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Barcelona: Perez ends champions' winning start
Barcelona could not hold onto their 100% record ahead of the international break, with Rayo Vallecano pushing them all the way on Sunday.
Substitute Fran Perez rescued a deserved point for Rayo Vallecano in a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in LaLiga on Sunday.
The visitors had taken a first-half lead through a Lamine Yamal penalty, but Rayo fought back in the second half and could have won it if not for two offside decisions.
Barcelona should have taken the lead in the opening 10 minutes after Raphinha pounced on a loose backpass from Unai Lopez, but from a tight angle, he fizzed a low effort wide of the far post.
Rayo stepped up the pressure after that, with Joan Garcia making saves to deny Andrei Ratiu and Luiz Felipe, but Barcelona got the advantage with a 40th-minute spot-kick.
Yamal went down under contact from Pep Chavarria in the box, and with VAR temporarily unavailable for a check, the penalty stood, with the 18-year-old drilling his low effort down the middle.
Barcelona could not capitalise on a strong start to the second half, though, and were given a reprieve as Jorge de Frutos' low strike into the net was disallowed for offside.
Perez then got a deserved equaliser in the 67th minute with a brilliant volley at the back post from Isi Palazon's corner.
Sergio Camello rifled the ball into the back of the net five minutes from time after Barcelona failed to clear their lines, but Andrei Ratiu was offside in the build-up, resulting in another chalked-off goal.
Data Debrief: Yamal's spark not enough for Barcelona
Yamal was a bright spark on a frustrating day for Barcelona, having three shots worth 0.87 expected goals (xG), while he also added yet another record to his name.
He has become the youngest player to score a penalty in LaLiga in the 21st century, at just 18 years and 49 days.
But Rayo were the better team in the second half and ensured they did not go away empty-handed. They bettered Barca's xG (1.79 to 1.77) and had 13 shots, one more than their opponents.
Joan Garcia kept Hansi Flick's side in the match, making six saves, though Barcelona have lost some ground on early leaders Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
