Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano summary: score, highlights, LaLiga
Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano: as it happened
Rayo's impressive record vs Barcelona
Rayo have picked up seven points from a possible nine against Barcelona in their last three games.
Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano
It's not the result Barcelona wanted but Rayo had their chances too. Falcao had the ball in the net in the 95th minute but the Colombian was flagged for offside.
FT: Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano
Barcelona are held to a 0-0 draw in their first game on the new season.
It's a terrible free and Barca have their own free out.
Rayo have a free on the right...
Ciss shoots wide from distance!
Rayo thought they had a 95th-minute winner!
FALCAO has it in the net but he's OFFSIDE!
Busquets' elbow catches Falcao and he picks up a second yellow.
Sergio Busquets has been sent off!
There will be EIGHT minutes added on!
That's Barcelona's second goal ruled out for offside tonight. Lewandowski had the first one.
KESSIÉ SCORES!
But he's offside!
Ansu Fati curls his free-kick well over the bar.
Lewandowski picks out Aubameyang at the back post. His effort is heading in but Catena clears it off the line! Lewandowski then sends the rebound over the bar!
Lewandowski!
The Polish forward's left-footed drive from 16 yards flies just wide!
Rayo change
OFF Isi
ON Salvi
Dembélé crosses from the right but there is too much on it for Sergi Roberto. It's 0-0 as we approach the last 10 minutes.
Balliu finds himself in an offside position on the right after a tidy switch by Pathe Ciss.
De Jong drives down the left, before picking out Lewandowski, who falls over. No penalty!
Xavi goes nuts on the sideline!
OFF Pedri
ON Kessié
It's time for another water break!
De Jong sends in the free but it misses everyone and ends up heading out for a corner. Dembélé sends in the corner from the left. Fran García drives forward after the ball dropped inside the box.
Falcao picks up a yellow for a foul on Busquets.
New Barcelona signing Franck Kessié is receiving instructions from Xavi in the dugout. 0-0
Dimitrievski saves!
The Rayo keeper keeps out Ansu Fati's shot from 20 yards out.
De Jong goes over the in the box! NO penalty!
Rayo change
OFF Camello
ON Falcao
OFF Unai López
ON Óscar Valentín
Barcelona changes
OFF Andreas Christensen
ON Sergi Roberto
OFF Raphinha
ON Ansu Fati
OFF Gavi
ON Frenkie De Jong
Ansu Fati and Frenkie de Jong are warming up. De Jong was recently booed by fans outside the club's ground. What will the reception be like tonight? He has done nothing wrong, after all.
Barca's sixth corner is headed away by Ciss. Raphinha then sends his shot wide.
Raphinha fires the ball across the box. It's like pinball in there and it eventually falls to Dimitrievski. 0-0
Camello chips his left-footed effort over the bar. A good chance for Rayo. Ter Stegen does enough to block the angle.
Xavi has a seriously impressive bench tonight. De Jong could come on in the next few minutes. He looked good against Pumas last Sunday.
Raphinha's low corner is cleared away!
Sergi Roberto and Ansu Fati are warming up!
We have no changes to report!
We're underway for the second half!
Over 81,000 at Camp Nou
Frenkie de Jong and Miralem Pjanic are both warming up for Barcelona.
Half-time at Camp Nou
Both sides had chances to break the deadlock but it remains 0-0.
HT: Barcelona 0-0 Rayo Vallecano
It's all-square at the break at Camp Nou!
Big save by Ter Stegen!
The German denies Álvaro García, who chops past Araújo but has his right-footed effort saved by the keeper.
There will be five minutes added on!
Trejo pulls down Pedri and picks up a yellow.
Rayo break on the left. Alvaro García looks to switch it long to Isi on the right but it's a poor ball and Barca have possession once again.
Camello has been short of supply as he plays in that lone striker role for Rayo tonight. Falcao is on the bench and may make a second half appearance.
Barca are finding gaps and are really upping the ante now. There could be an opener soon!
Barcelona find more space centrally. Dembélé pulls it back for Pedri, who curls it first time past the post. A good effort but it's just wide!
Dembélé finds himself down the right this time. He cuts onto his left and shoots low. It's straight at Dimitrievski.
Rayo have posed very little threat but Iraola will be satisfied with the first 30 minutes as his side are still in the game. 0-0
Isi sends his free-kick to the back post but it's just too high for Catena, who heads it out. Ter Stegen goes short with his goalkick.
Raphinha sends his free-kick out for a goalkick and with that we have a water break.
Barcelona beat Pumas 6-0 at Camp Nou last week to win the Gamper Trophy. Lewandowski and Pedri linked up so well on the night and will be hoping for more joy tonight.
Raphinha!
He's all alone on the edge of the box but fires over first time. Dembélé picked him out after receiving a 40-yard diagonal from Busquets. Barca are using the wings to get at Rayo.
Dembélé goes down the left. Pathe Ciss comes across to clear any potential danger. Dembélé is, for some reason, wearing a long-sleeved shirt even though it is 30 degrees in Barcelona.
Barcelona have been on top in the opening stages but it remains 0-0.
Lewandowski has scored on the opening day of the season in seven consecutive seasons!
Lewandowski scores but he's offside!
It was a nice dink too!
Fran García vs Raphinha is going to be an interesting battle.
The former Leeds man gets by the left-back and goes over in the box. No penalty for Barca but that duel is going to be one to watch. Pace vs pace.
Lewandowski falls over. The referee waves play on and the home faithful are not happy.
Andoni Iraola's side, who finished 12th last season, start with Sergio Camello up front. The young striker is on loan from Atlético Madrid.
Andreas Christensen gets his first touch in LaLiga since joining from Chelsea. Former Chelsea target Jules Koundé misses out tonight as he has not been registered to play.
Xavi likes his wingers playing wide and that is exactly what he has with Dembélé and Raphinha. The latter has started on the right wing.
Barcelona break down the left but Rayo are able to deal with the threat that started with Alba.
Xavi has given league debuts to Christensen, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
Rayo kick us off and are playing from right to left.
We're underway at Camp Nou!
It's Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano!
The players are in the tunnel at Camp Nou!
Kick-off at Camp Nou is less than 10 minutes away!
It has, by the standards of any club in the world, been a spectacularly successful summer in the transfer market for Barcelona. The question that has many Camp Nou fans concerned though is: at what price has it been achieved?
Club president Joan Laporta has been playing a game of economic brinkmanship involving economic “levers” that some fear is simply another way of mortgaging the club’s future against outside elements. Laporta argues that his methods have brought Barça back from the edge of the financial abyss, and there is some truth to that, but the issue of the club’s crippling wage bill remains unsolved.
Gerard Piqué has even offered to play for free to alleviate the situation while Xavi operates behind the scenes in attempt to offload Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay to raise funds.
Xavi not ruling out De Jong and Aubameyang Barcelona exits
Barcelona manager Xavi refused to rule out exits for Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of their LaLiga opener, acknowledging "anything can happen".
Manchester United's interest in De Jong has evolved into one of the longest-running sagas of the transfer window, while Chelsea are being strongly linked with both the Netherlands midfielder and Barca striker Aubameyang.
Although Xavi and president Joan Laporta have expressed confidence Barca will overcome their financial woes to register a host of new acquisitions ahead of Saturday's fixture against Rayo Vallecano, they are trying to offload players and reduce the wage bill.
While Xavi still considers both men key players, he made it clear they may depart before the transfer window closes.
"From here until August 31 a lot can happen, but I like Aubameyang a lot," Xavi told a news conference on Friday.
"He helped us a lot, he's an important player for me, he arrived here with a lot of humility, a good work ethic, so we'll see what happens."
On De Jong's future, the Blaugrana boss added: "It's the same as Aubameyang, he's an important player and he's part of the squad.
"If I can use him, great. From now until the 31st we will see what possibilities there are and where we are with regards to our participation in the market.
"From now until August 31, anything can happen with Frenkie and with any players in the squad."
No Koundé for Barcelona
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Andreas Christensen will make their Barcelona debuts tonight.
Jules Koundé will have to wait as the club have not yet registered the former Sevilla defender.
Rayo Vallecano XI
Andoni Iraola has named his team for Rayo's visit to Camp Nou.
Barcelona starting XI
Xavi has selected the following XI:
Ter Stegen - Araújo, Christensen, Eric García, Jordi Alba - Pedri, Busquets, Gavi - Dembélé, Lewandowski, Raphinha
Christensen, Lewandowski and Raphinha are all set for their LaLiga debuts.
Tonight's venue
Barcelona's Camp Nou is all set for tonight's game between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano.
Barcelona activate fourth ‘economic lever’
Barcelona activated their fourth ‘economic lever’ on Friday, selling 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios to Orpheus Media for €100million.
Orpheus Media is run by Jaume Roures, a 72-year-old Spanish businessman, is also the chief executive of MediaPro, the company that bought the TV rights to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2020 but defaulted on its payments in October.
New Barcelona signings registered
Barcelona's new signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessié and Andreas Christensen have all been registered by LaLiga.
Jules Koundé has yet to be registered and will miss the home game against Rayo Vallecano.
Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembélé have also been registered and are available for selection.
Barcelona will be aiming for their first win of the new season when they welcome Rayo Vallecano to Camp Nou on Saturday night.
Rayo travel to Barcelona
Andoni Iraola's side start their season with a tricky trip to Camp Nou.
Barcelona squad vs Rayo
Xavi has named the following squad for tonight's game at Camp Nou.
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano: welcome!
Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of this match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano.