Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the 29th round of the 2025/26 La Liga season with a goal from Araujo. In an interview, Flick said it was a tough match and he was happy for goalkeeper Joan García, who helped the team keep a clean sheet.

Cancelo took a corner in the 24th minute, and Araujo rose up to head the ball into the net, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead.

Rayo Vallecano continued to launch counterattacks, while Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García made several brilliant saves.

Barcelona ultimately defeated Araujo 1-0 at Camp Nou. With their fifth consecutive win, Barcelona now sits atop the league table with 73 points, maintaining a four-point lead over title rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said, "I'm very happy. This game wasn't easy for us, but after playing so many games in the past few weeks, the most important thing is to get three points. It wasn't our best performance, but Rayo Vallecano played a very good game."

“Iñigo Perez has done very well, especially for his age. I really like his team style and football philosophy, and I want to congratulate him.”

Speaking about Joan Garcia, the goalkeeper who helped Barcelona keep a clean sheet against Rayo Vallecano, Flick said, "He showed his strength and energy and completed the clean sheet, which is why we brought him to Barcelona. I am happy for him, and he deserves to be in the national team."

“I’m also happy for Araujo because he scored an important goal for the team. We should also be happy for him; he performed consistently and is very important in corner kicks, and this goal will give him confidence.”

As for Cancelo, Flick said, "I want to congratulate him. He played exceptionally well in the second half. He wasn't injured, but we had to substitute him. It's incredible that he could play to that level. I'm happy with his performance; he played very well."

Rayo Vallecano coach Iñigo Pérez added, "I think a draw would have been a fairer result. We deserved a goal in the second half, but teams like that often respond quickly after we score. Even so, we managed to equalize. They scored from set pieces, and statistics show they are one of the best teams in Europe in that respect."

“Pedri’s vision, combined with his other abilities, has a different effect on teams like ours that don’t like opponents to have possession for long periods of time. It wears us down little by little. In other situations, if we are not focused enough, he will take advantage of the situation and punish the opponent.”

Image source: Internet