BARCELONA, Spain (March 22, 2026) (Interstat) — Barcelona began its La Liga campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday at Spotify Camp Nou.

The match’s lone goal came in the 24th minute when defender Ronald Araújo scored, assisted by forward Lamine Yamal. The match was a physical affair, with seven yellow cards issued by the referee. Raphinha of Barcelona received the first booking in the 8th minute.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had forecast a 2-1 Barcelona win and gave the hosts a 93.6% probability of victory. Barcelona improved to 1-0-0 in league play, while Rayo Vallecano fell to 0-1-0.