Barcelona player ratings from a Monday night at the Spotify Camp Nou that had rather more in it than the scoreline suggests. Hansi Flick’s side beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 on La Liga Matchday 3 to make it three wins from three, but they were behind inside 12 minutes and pegged back to 3-2 with half an hour still to play. Braces from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, plus a Florian Lejeune own goal, settled it in front of 57,768 people.
The Blaugrana have now scored 12 and conceded two in three matchdays and sit top of the table, per Mundo Deportivo. Here is how the players rated.
Barcelona player ratings vs Rayo Vallecano: the defence
Joan García — 6.5. Conceded his first league goals of the season and could do nothing about Sergio Camello’s opener, a first-time finish at the near post. He was badly positioned for the 3-2 header from a corner and hesitated again on an action that nearly brought Rayo level. Redeemed by decisive claiming on wide crosses and an excellent late stop from Alemão.
Jules Koundé — 4.5. The worst night of a difficult start to the season. His misjudged attempt to step in on Álvaro García gifted Rayo the opening goal, and the winger beat him repeatedly thereafter. He had a first-half header ruled out for offside and, right at the end, allowed Alemão another clear look. Eric García and João Cancelo are both waiting.
Pau Cubarsí — 7.5. Barça’s most assured defender. With Koundé struggling, Cubarsí took on extra cover, and he was on the line to help Joan García keep out what would have been a 3-3. Sharp in his anticipation up the pitch, clean with his distribution out of it.
Andreas Christensen — 6. Handed a start in place of Gerard Martín and asked to play on the left of the pairing despite being right-footed, which never looked comfortable. He reacted slowly to Camello’s movement for the first goal. His reading of the game covered for a lack of pace, but only just.
Xavi Espart — 8.5. Another outstanding night for the academy left-back, who finished the game in midfield alongside Rodri. His disguised pass into Raphinha’s feet created the equaliser, and he was involved again in the move for the third. The one blemish was his marking at the corner that led to Camello’s second.
Midfield: Bernal’s night
Marc Bernal — 8. Enormous physical output in both directions and a quick, unfussy pass to release Yamal for the 2-1. He also turned up in the build-up to the third and went close from outside the box. Replaced by Rodri on 64 minutes. “Raphinha is a reference point, he helps all of us, he’s approachable — we all want a captain like that,” Bernal said afterwards, per Barca Blaugranes.
Pedri — 7.5. Elegant and precise in possession, pressing with genuine commitment and close to a goal from a set-piece routine. Faded physically before coming off on 77 minutes.
Dani Olmo — 6.5. A first start of the campaign in place of Fermín López. Willing and involved without ever taking the game by the collar; withdrawn on the hour alongside Bernal.
Attack: two nines and a captain
Lamine Yamal — 9. Wasteful early, unplayable later. The 2-1 was a rocket into the near top corner from the edge of the box, and the 90th-minute finish from Karim Adeyemi’s pass was pure control. Those were his 50th and 51st goals for Barcelona, reached younger than any player before him.
Raphinha — 9.5. The captain, deployed again as the centre-forward, turned his marker and finished across Dani Cárdenas for the equaliser, then converted Anthony Gordon’s backheel for 4-2. Five La Liga goals leave him alone at the top of the scoring charts and make him the first Barça player since Lionel Messi in 2020 to score on each of the opening three matchdays. Off to an ovation on 85 minutes.
Anthony Gordon — 8.5. Barcelona’s most dangerous attacker for long stretches of the first half and the man who broke Lejeune for the own goal that made it 3-1. The backheel for Raphinha’s second was the assist of the night. A new Camp Nou favourite.
The substitutes
Rodri — 7 settled the game’s rhythm after replacing Bernal. Fermín López — 6.5 kept the ball moving. Karim Adeyemi — 7 supplied the assist for the fifth. João Cancelo — 6 had a shot from distance in his brief cameo. Hamza Abdelkarim came on for Raphinha for his first-team debut and is not rated.
Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso, taking charge at the Camp Nou for the first time, had a straightforward evening and showed a single card, to Adrià Pedrosa. For the full picture, compare these with our Barcelona player ratings against Athletic Club. Next up: Valencia away at Mestalla on Sunday.
