Barcelona

It seems however that most of those players will be fit for their match with Rayo Vallecano this Sunday night however. All of Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and ...

All of Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Dani Alves are in the squad. It seems however that most of those players will be fit for their match with Rayo Vallecano this Sunday night however. Even Barcelona’s doctor picked up an injury.

Barcelona boss Xavi admitted that the club has dipped in form from its spectacular showings in February and March, but there's still a Champions League spot ...

Unlike the opponents, Rayo Vallecano is a relatively healthy side for this late in the season. For the second straight match, Radamel Falcao is on the bench, and could be a substitute option. 22nd min: Rayo is now sitting deep after scoring the opener, and Barcelona has absolutely nothing in the attack. Dembele then nearly finds Aubameyang but the cross is just a smidge too high for the Gabonese international to get good contact with his head. 60 mins before kick: Lineups are in, and there's a surprise for Barcelona as Ronald Arajuo, who came off injured just days ago, is fit enough to start. On a goal kick Dimitrievski plays it short to Nikola Maras whose heavy touch allows Aubameyang to charge it down right on the doorstep of the goal mouth. The change from Dest to Garcia is a defensive one, and now Dembele has very little support on the right flank. The young midfielder, understandably, is incensed with the call and with his opponent, and he has words for Lopez who yells back. Rayo hasn't had anything forward since the goal, as the game's been played almost entirely in the Rayo half. Unai Lopez throws a shoulder into Gavi marshaling the ball out of play, and Gavi is hilariously called for the foul. The game has grinded to a halt. Still, it would take quite the collapse for the club to be sent down at this point, holding a decent gap with three of their final fixtures this season coming against teams below them in the table.

Barcelona have lost three consecutive home games in the same season for the first time in their illustrious history after slumping to a shock 1-0 defeat to ...

but we have to be in the Champions League, we want to hear the Champions League music next season. He added: "We were all fired up with the great run in the league and the Europa League. I understand it's not as motivating for the fans and players to fight for second place. In Barca's history it's about coming first, but we have to understand and motivate ourselves to finish second." Barca previously lost three games in a row at Camp Nou in 1998 but that was split over two seasons. And if we get the first goal with enough time, I am sure the second follows. Still, Barca hit the woodwork toward the end of both halves, while Gavi had a strong penalty appeal rejected as the clock neared the 90-minute mark.

7' - GOAL! BARCELONA 0-1 RAYO VALLECANO (ALVARO GARCIA): Oh wow, Rayo are ahead! For the third consecutive home game, Barca concede first! Palazon is the ...

The loose ball drops to Gavi, who creates the space for a shot. 42' - OFF THE CROSSBAR! Rayo fail to clear from a corner. There was plenty of time for Barcelona to recover, of course, but they struggled to click, a distinct lack of firepower in attack evident as they failed to create a clear cut chance until the dying stages. What was perhaps most concerning for Xavi was the number of times his side conceded possession in midfield, with Frenkie De Jong, in particular, guilty of sloppy passing. For the third consecutive home game, Barca concede first! Xavi rang the changes, operating with four strikers on the pitch in a desperate bid to drawl level.

Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mietz claimed an emotional victory at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Sunday afternoon, fighting past Wesley Koolhof and Neal ...

Despite the defeat, Koolhof and Skupski can look back on another strong week as they extend their winning record in 2022 to 29-6. I’m very happy with our performance and how we managed to get the win in the end, unbelievable.” “In doubles it’s always tight with a Match Tie-break to stay mentally strong,” said Krawietz. “We played not so well sometimes, but in the tournament we were mentally good, so we are happy to have managed the matches and of course we are very happy to win the tournament here in Barcelona.”

Teenage tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz has continued his impressive run by beating Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets to win the Barcelona Open final for ...

Alcaraz was guaranteed to move into the top 10 after reaching the semifinals. A record 21-time Grand Slam winner, Nadal never dropped out of the top 10 since then. I always wished to play in this tournament and of course to be able to win this tournament.

Barcelona had an out-of-sorts night as Rayo Vallecano completed a shock double against the Catalan giants thanks to Alvaro Garcia's strike.

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Barcelona has lost 1-0 to Rayo Vallecano for an unprecedented third straight home defeat that leaves Real Madrid a point away from clinching the Spanish ...

It was the second straight win for Rayo after enduring a 13-game winless streak in the league. League leader Madrid will have its first chance of lifting the league trophy for the second time in three years next Saturday when it hosts Espanyol. Madrid is 15 points ahead of second-place Barcelona with five rounds to go. Securing second place is also important as it guarantees a spot in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz captured the fourth title of his young career by beating eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-2 in the Barcelona Open final ...

"You have to give 100%, fight until the last ball. "I'm really happy to be part of the (historic) Spanish list." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Barcelona were condemned to a third successive home defeat as Alvaro Garcia's ...

CM: Gavi - 6/10 - Unfortunate with his effort which struck the bar in the first half. Looked frustrated to be withdrawn before the hour mark. Improved when Xavi moved to a back three and he could punch passes through the lines on his stronger foot. However, Alba was expertly placed to block the effort from five yards out. The crossbar was then left shaking as Barcelona searched for an equaliser before the interval. The winger was found by Isi Palazon and, with just Marc-Andre ter Stegen to beat, he controlled and steered a lovely rifled finish beyond the Barcelona No.1.

PETER JENSON AT THE NOU CAMP: Barcelona lost their third consecutive home game under Xavi and their season is now threatening to fizzle out in the same way ...

Xavi was frustrated too and when he felt Gavi should have been awarded a penalty in a clash with Alejandro Catena and the coach was booked. ‘There are games that get complicated because we don't start as we should,’ said Xavi. ‘If you take the lead then you have everything under control. When it dropped to Frenkie de Jong he played it to Dembele and he crossed for Aubameyang who couldn’t finish. Gavi and Dembele had at least ruffled a few Rayo feathers. Rayo got the winner on seven minutes when Alvaro Garcia made a diagonal run from the left wing to centre forward position. But as Gerard Pique said earlier in the season: we could have played for three hours without scoring.

The Catalan outfit have enjoyed a resurgence since Xavi's appointment, but three defeats in four have effectively ended their season early.

“I understand it’s not as motivating for the fans and players to fight for second place. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. But we have to be in the Champions League, we want to hear the Champions League music next season.

Barca had the chance to all but clinch a place in next year's Champions League but now face a tense finish to the campaign with form and performances ...

Furthermore, he was excluded from the starting line-up against Cadiz last week and failed to make an impression as a second half substitute. However, Barca may be wary that they could yet slip out of the top four places and a potential Champions League slot for next season – which would represent a massive blow to their financial situation. It ensured the club suffered a third successive home defeat in the same season for the first time in their history, meaning boss Xavi Hernandez set an unwanted record.

AC Milan come from behind to beat Lazio 2-1 and regain Serie A top spot; Salernitana keep survival bid alive with 2-1 win against Fiorentina; Hertha Berlin, ...

Khephren Thuram scored a last-minute goal as Nice kept up their own European hopes with a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Troyes. AC Milan come from behind to beat Lazio 2-1 and regain Serie A top spot; Salernitana keep survival bid alive with 2-1 win against Fiorentina; Hertha Berlin, Augsburg boost their hopes of staying in the Bundesliga; Marseille beat Reims 1-0 to stay on course for Champions League place In Ligue 1, Marseille kept themselves on course for Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win at Reims.

BARCELONA are interested in signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich when the transfer window reopens this summer.

"We are in a difficult situation. Barcelona’s progress under Xavi appears to have ground to a halt. We are still in the Champions League places but we have complicated it for ourselves because if we had beaten Cadiz and Rayo it would have almost given us qualification for the Champions League." "Now it's time to rest, disconnect and in the middle of the week we will get back on and prepare for the Mallorca game. Yet Sunday’s defeat was another chastening night at the office and a reminder that, for all their progress, they still have much work to do in order to become the European giant they used to be. Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.