Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Barcelona: Radamel Falcao scores a first-half winner in what proves to be Ronald Koeman’s final match in charge as Memphis Depay misses penalty
- Barcelona’s struggles continued with a 1-0 loss at Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday
- Radamel Falcao stunned the Catalan giants in the 30th minute with a fine finish
- Memphis Depay squandered a chance to level things when he missed a penalty
- The result ended up being Ronald Koeman’s final game in charge of Barcelona
- Koeman was sacked by the Catalan club shortly after the game on Wednesday
Barcelona were humbled again, this time by tiny Rayo Vallecano and a goal from 35-year-old Radamel Falcao.
They have not won away all season and are a mid-table mess, leaving the Catalan club with no decision but to sack coach Ronald Koeman after full-time.
He was without at least four first-team starters but supporters still expect the team to have enough to beat the side that came up through the play-offs last season, even if they do currently boast five wins from five in their modest three-sided ground.
Barcelona have dropped more points in the LaLiga title race after losing 1-0 at Rayo Vallecano
Former Chelsea and Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao scored the opening goal
Ronald Koeman’s struggling Barcelona side are now six points off league leaders Sevilla
The defeat was the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Barcelona announcing that Ronald Koeman had been sacked after the game
With just over 9,000 supporters kicking every ball with them they took the lead on the half-hour through Colombian striker Falcao.
Sergio Busquets had been dispossessed in midfield by Oscar Trejo whose through ball found the veteran forward.
He turned inside Gerard Pique and scored past Marc-Andre ter Stegen off the post. It was the fifth game running that Barcelona had conceded from the opposition’s first shot at goal.
They had their chances to turn the result around and it was under-pressure Koeman’s recruits who let him down in front of goal. He wanted Sergino Dest, Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong brought in and they were all guilty of squandering opportunities
Memphis missed from the spot after winning a penalty in the second half. From his trademark short run up he fired at a comfortable height for Stole Dimitrievski and the keeper saved his shot. He also bravely smothered the rebound getting a kick in the head for his troubles.
Dest’s miss came in the first half. Shooting almost as high over the top as he had done at the Camp Nou four days before. De Jong was brought on late on and had the chance to salvage a point but his difficult lob over an advanced Dimitreivski went horrible high and wide.
Sergio Aguero was left cursing in the penalty area as De Jong missed the chance. Had the Dutchman picked him out he might have been able to finish. Aguero should perhaps also have taken that penalty. There was a brief conversation with Memphis that ended withhim taking the ball instead.
Barcelona’s best chance to equalise came through Memphis Depay’s second-half penalty
The Dutchman saw his effort saved as Barcelona failed to grab an equaliser on a tough night
Falcao’s winner maintained Rayo’s excellent start to the season as they push for Europe
Aguero was also guilty of missed chances. He shot into the side netting from a Dest pass. And from a cross from the full-back he headed just wide.
The result left Barcelona ninth ahead of other games to be played in midweek. Right now they do not look like a side capable of finishing in the Champions League places and the club decided enough was enough, putting an end to Koeman’s reign as boss.
He is rewriting history at the moment – it’s been 19 years since Rayo beat Barcelona.
They did so comfortably against a side who have scored only one goal on the road all season and are still waiting to pick up a win away from the Nou Camp.
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