Barcelona edged past Rayo Vallecano with a narrow 1-0 victory on Monday, courtesy of Robert Lewandowski’s first-half penalty, to climb to the top of the Spanish La Liga standings.
Just weeks ago, Barcelona trailed the league leaders by seven points, but recent setbacks for both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid—who each drew 1-1 on Saturday while playing with 10 men—opened the door for the Catalan side to take advantage.
Lewandowski secured the crucial win in the 28th minute, converting from the penalty spot with a shot that kissed the post on its way in. Despite dominating possession, Barcelona struggled to break through again, with Rayo goalkeeper Pep Chavarria pulling off multiple saves to keep his side in contention.
Rayo Vallecano, who had been on a 10-match unbeaten run, came close to an equalizer, but Jorge de Frutos saw a goal disallowed and missed a headed opportunity in stoppage time.
“It wasn’t an easy game, but we had to grind it out,” Barcelona’s Alex Balde told Movistar.
Coach Hansi Flick echoed similar sentiments: “We worked hard, and in the end, we’re happy with the result. We played well but can still improve.”
The victory extends Barcelona’s unbeaten streak to 12 matches in 2025, while Rayo, who had impressively risen to sixth place, suffered their first defeat in 11 games.