FC Barcelona reaches the first international break in LaLiga with a bitter taste, after a draw against Rayo Vallecano, 1-1, on Sunday night. A draw that was closer to a defeat by Barça had it not been for Barça's keeper, Joan García, the only player to get praise by Hansi Flick after the match.
However, the match was marked by controversy: VAR did not work during the whole first half of the match, and that included a penalty by Chavarría over Lamine Yamal that was later transformed, putting Barça ahead. The action, however, was not clear, and as VAR did not work, the referee could not review the action, so his first instinct stood. And the crowds in Vallecas, neighbourhood south of Madrid which just three days ago celebrated their qualification to UEFA Conference League, were raging.
At the end and during the match, players and managers from both teams complained about the outrageous and embarrassing situation: playing a Liga match, or half of it, without VAR. But Rayo Vallecano supporters have a bit more weight in their complains, as most referee decisions damaged them, including the penalty and two offside goals. In the end, Barça was lucky to leave Vallecas with one point...