Rayo Vallecano 2 - Barcelona 2

Rayo: Lopetegui; Alcázar, Urbano (Bartelt 46'), Ballesteros, Mingo; Helder (Iván Iglesias 65'), Pablo Sanz, Quevedo, Setvalls (Mauro 92'); Michel; Bolic. 4-4-1-1.
Barcelona: Reina; Gabri, Petit, Frank De Boer, Sergi; Guardiola, Gerard; Simao, Luis Enrique, Overmars; Kluivert (Alfonso 83'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Rayo: Urbano, Helder for De Quintana, Mauro / Barcelona: Petit, Guardiola, Gerard, Overmars for Abelardo, Cocu, Xavi, Rivaldo.

Goals:
1-0. 05. Bolic. Headed down past Reina after cross from Michel on left wing.
1-1. 08. Gerard. Took short pass, ran past defender and shot from outside area.
1-2. 66. Frank De Boer. Headed Guardiola's free kick from left past Lopetegui.
2-2. 73. Pablo Sanz (penalty). After Frank De Boer handled ball in area.

An exciting match in Vallecas with both sides playing open attractive football. Within the first ten minutes the ball had already entered the net twice, with Rayo taking the lead on the counter-attack through Bolic (his third in consecutive games) immediately after referee Undiano Mallenco had waved away a claim for a penalty on Overmars, and Gerard replying with an individualist goal five minutes later. Both sides were missing key players, with De Quintana and Cocu suspended after picking up fifth yellow cards in their last league games, Bolo also forced to sit out the game after being sent off in Rayo's agonising cup win midweek (Mauro was also sent off but had one yellow card cancelled on appeal), and injuries to Poschner, Luis Cembranos, Cota, Puyol, Abelardo and Rivaldo. Rayo were forced to draft in youngster Urbano in defence, and Barça brought back Guardiola, Overmars and Petit after injury.

After the opening goals, the visitors hit the woodwork twice through Simao and Kluivert in a first half which they largely dominated. Juande Ramos brought on Bartelt at half time for Urbano, with the versatile Quevedo dropping back to defence, and the Argentinian forward almost gave his side the lead with a run which was only halted by Reina in the Barcelona goal. Then Frank De Boer, who had been joining the Barcelona attack whenever he could, got in front of Lopetegui to head home Guardiola's free kick. However, the hero turned villain five minutes later, handling Bolic's lifted pass in the penalty area, and Pablo Sanz levelled the scores from the spot. Later in the half Overmars proved once again that he is a bad sportsman, continuing play with the Rayo players appealing for him to put the ball out as Bolic lay injured, although his shot from the halfway line would have been one of the most spectacular goals of the season if it had entered the net rather than not bouncing away off the crossbar.

Undiano caused an uproar near the end in both camps, firstly for awarding a free kick to Rayo for a backpass to Reina which clearly took a deflection off a defender, resulting in a shot from Michel which the young keeper saved with his feet, and then turning down claims from Rayo for a penalty after Overmars pushed over Bolic. In the end though a fair result which leaves both teams level on 24 points, with Rayo up in fourth place thanks to a better goal average, with Barça in sixth behind fifth placed Alavés. Rayo manager Juande Ramos set a new record for his club with his 53rd game in charge of the team in the top flight, and at the rate he is going he will extend on that considerably, assuming that is that one of the bigger clubs doesn't poach him.