Barcelona Edge Past Rayo 1-0, Stay Ahead of Real Madrid

Araujo's winner secures Barcelona's win over Rayo Vallecano

Barca labor to 1-0 win over Rayo, stay four points ahead of Real Madrid. Rayo Vallecano's poor away run continues with loss to Barcelona.

Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0, Ronald Araujo scores the winner...

Barcelona laboured to a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, with Ronald Araujo scoring the only goal of the game in the first half. The Blaugrana had to work hard for the victory, with Rayo Vallecano giving them a scare, particularly in the early stages.

Joan Garcia made a crucial save from Carlos Martín's early strike, and it took Barça 10 minutes to get their first shot on target. Augusto Batalla, the Rayo goalkeeper, was largely untested in the first half, but Barcelona's dominance wasn't quite translating into clear-cut chances.

Raphinha had a chance to get things going but somehow missed the target after picking up a pass in the centre circle. Rayo Vallecano, meanwhile, was packing the midfield and looking to hit Barça on the counter.

Barca kept pushing, and it paid off in the 24th minute! Joao Cancelo's corner was met by Ronald Araújo's head, and the defender's downward header gave the hosts the lead.

Raphinha's powerful shot hit the crossbar as Barca pushed for a second, but Rayo's defence held firm. The game was getting scrappier, with plenty of free-kicks breaking up the play. Despite dominating possession, Barcelona weren't really threatening to add to Araujo's early goal.

Rayo Vallecano sprung back to life just after the restart, beating the offside trap and testing Joan Garcia, but the Barca keeper held firm. As the game wore on, Barca started creating more chances, but they just couldn't convert them.

Alvaro Garcia's fierce strike was well saved by Joan Garcia, and the keeper followed it up with an incredible mid-air save to keep out Unai Lopez's header. Rayo were getting chances, but Barca's defence was holding strong.

FT: #BarçaRayo 1-0

Fc Barcelona dig deep for a hard-earned win at Spotify Camp Nou! 💙❤️#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/TGvoWev0ZY

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) March 22, 2026

Barça's sloppy play had the Camp Nou crowd whistling loudly, and Rayo Vallecano's counter-attacks were causing real anxiety. But the Catalans dodged a bullet when Pacha Espino's shot flew over.

In the end, Barca held on for a 1-0 win, extending their unbeaten run at home to 15 games. Rayo Vallecano's struggles away from home continue, with six losses in their last nine games.