The stage, an incredible amphitheatre filled with 81,000 avid viewers, was all set for Barcelona to make a showy start to the season against their modest opponent’s Rayo Vallecano. Yet Barcelona found a brave team in their way that paid little attention to narratives or names.
Throughout the match, Andoni Iraola showed his tactical acumen as Barcelona struggled for fluidity.
Speaking after the match to Mundo Deportivo, Eric Garcia admitted that the Blaugrana had been unable to find solutions.
“I think that Rayo were good and we were defensively good, a shame, to be honest.”
“They set up a match closing off the centre a lot and that complicated life for us, we struggled to find the free man. Their goalkeeper made some very good saves.”
Central midfielders Pedri, Gavi and Franck Kessie all struggled to get on the ball, which was a key part of Barcelona’s issues. Only when Frenkie de Jong came on and dropped deeper did they have a driving presence in midfield.
To close out the post-match interview Garcia thanked the fans and promised that more was to come.
“Thanks to the fans. Ultimately you never leave satisfied if you don’t win, but there is always a margin improvement. We could well have won but now we have to correct the errors from today and go for La Real [Sociedad].”
Barcelona travel to the Reale Arena next Sunday night, which will be a far from ideal fixture for Barcelona to put things right in. Real Sociedad have a history of causing issues for the Azulgrana in Donostia-San Sebastian and they will be travelling without their captain Sergio Busquets, who will be suspended following his red card.