Barcelona Suffers Third Home Defeat In A Row After Losing To Rayo Vallecano.

Rayo Vallecano stuns Barcelona 1-0 in La Liga on Sunday night, handing the Catalan side their third home defeat in row for the first time in a single season.

Barcelona could not find a response despite conceding very early in the game at Camp Nou, as Alvaro Garcia's goal in the seventh minutes was enough to give the visitors all the three points.

Xavi Hernandez twice felt that Barcelona should have won a penalty, with Gavi being the man going down on both occasions.

The strongest claim came in the 90th minute, but it was ruled offside in the build-up.

Following the defeats by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals, and Cadiz in La Liga on Monday, Barca have lost three successive home games.

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The win saw the team from Madrid become only the fourth promoted side to earn a La Liga double over Barca and the first since  1997/98 season. Rayo beats them home and away this season, having defeated them for the first time since 2002 last October under former boss Ronald Koeman who was sacked afterwards.

The result also means that Real Madrid can win a record 35th Spanish title win by avoiding a defeat against Espanyol on next weekend. Infact Carlo Ancelotti's men needs just a point from their remaining five games to go to be crowned the 2021/22 La Liga Champions. 

After a run of 14 games without a win, Rayo Vallecano in their own can now rest after securing back-to-back wins in Catalonia (1-0 at Espanyol in midweek, and now against Barca).

They have 40 points in eleventh place which relatively but ensured their safety from relegation, giving themselves a 10-point cushion over the bottom three.

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Barca, who knew victory would all but secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, have won just twice in their past six matches.

Xavi's side are currently under pressure in second place with 63 points, only six points clear of Real Betis in fifth.

Sevilla are level on 63 points in third place and Atletico Madrid only two points behind on 61, any further slip-ups could cost Barcelona a place for Champions League football next season.