Araujo header secures Barcelona's narrow win over Rayo

· CNA · Join
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 22, 2026 FC Barcelona's Ronald Araujo scores their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 22, 2026 FC Barcelona's Ronald Araujo scores their first goal past Rayo Vallecano's Augusto Batalla REUTERS/Albert Gea
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 22, 2026 FC Barcelona's Joao Cancelo in action with Rayo Vallecano's Fran Perez REUTERS/Albert Gea
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 22, 2026 FC Barcelona's Fermin Lopez in action with Rayo Vallecano's Florian Lejeune and Pathe Ciss REUTERS/Albert Gea

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

BARCELONA, March 22 : Ronald Araujo's first-half header gave Barcelona a 1-0 win at home against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday that kept the Catalan side with a comfortable lead at the top of LaLiga.

Barcelona lead the standings with 73 points, seven ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand and will host fourth-placed Atletico Madrid in a Spanish capital derby later on Sunday.

Ronald Araujo scored the winner in the 24th minute heading in from a corner lifted by Joao Cancelo from the left. The Portuguese international crossed the ball to the far post, where the Uruguayan defender jumped higher than Pathe Ciss to nod it in off the right post.

However, the key man for the home side was goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who made a string of saves to deny Rayo what would have been a deserved equaliser, earning the 24-year-old the man of the match award.

Source: Reuters

Newsletter

Recommended Read

Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read

A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here