Barcelona Drops First La Liga Points in VAR-Failure Draw at Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona dropped their first points of the La Liga season in a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano, a match overshadowed by a malfunctioning VAR system that prevented review of a contentious penalty awarded to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. The penalty, given after a challenge by Pep Chavarria, sparked protests from Rayo players and fans who believed the decision should have been overturned, but the VAR was confirmed to be non-functional during the first half. Rayo substitute Fran Perez equalized in the 67th minute with a volley from a corner, and despite several scoring chances, neither team secured a win. Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia made multiple crucial saves to preserve the draw, while Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed frustration over missed opportunities and the impact of the VAR failure. Both teams were informed of the VAR issue before kickoff, and Rayo's coach suggested that matches should be halted if VAR fails in the future to maintain fairness. The result leaves Barcelona fourth in the league standings, trailing leaders Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao by two points.