Barcelona continued their winning streak in La Liga with a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the early hours of August 28. Despite the positive result, Hansi Flick, the head coach of Barcelona, was left with mixed feelings due to a serious injury sustained by key player Marc Bernal.
In the third round of the season, Barcelona initially trailed Rayo Vallecano but made a comeback in the second half with goals from Pedri and new signing Dani Olmo, securing a 2-1 win.
With this victory, Barcelona now holds a perfect 9 points after three matches. However, the match was marred by the injury to Marc Bernal, who is reported to have suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Flick expressed his concern after the game, saying, “This is a bittersweet victory. I am worried about Marc Bernal; he doesn’t look well. We will know the specifics of his injury once we conduct detailed medical examinations.”
Pedri also picked up a minor injury during the match, but Flick reassured that the situation of the Spanish star is not as severe.
In addition to updates on player health, Flick commented on Barcelona’s performance against Rayo Vallecano: “The first few minutes of the match did not go as we hoped. We tried to apply pressure but didn’t control the game well. However, in the second half, the team played much better. I believe we deserved the three points from this game.”
Meanwhile, Dani Olmo, a recent signing, shone in his debut match for Barcelona. Although Barcelona had acquired him some time ago, he had only recently been cleared to play due to salary cap issues.
According to Opta, Olmo became the first player since Sandro Ramirez in August 2014 to score for Barcelona in their La Liga debut away from home. Barcelona fans are hopeful that Olmo will continue to make a significant impact in future matches.