Barca boss Flick commends VAR use after tense win vs Rayo Vallecano courtesy a Robert Lewandowski penalty in the first half.
Barca boss Flick defended the use of the video assistant referees (VAR) after Rayo Vallecano were left fuming following a number of controversial decisions.
After a lengthy VAR review over a foul within the area that the referee missed at first sight, Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski netted the game-winning penalty kick in the first half. Rayo also expressed dissatisfaction after being denied a penalty, and they were even more incensed when they were denied an equaliser because they believed Jorge de Frutos’ attempt was unfairly disallowed in the 42nd minute.
Even though Barça had the majority of the possession, Rayo still appeared to be the more threatening team, and Wojciech Szczesny had to play very well in goal to thwart their attempts. De Frutos missed a header from close range in added time, but Rayo still had a chance to equalise.
After a lengthy VAR review over a foul within the area that the referee missed at first sight, Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski netted the game-winning penalty kick in the first half. Rayo also expressed dissatisfaction after being denied a penalty, and they were even more incensed when they were denied an equaliser because they believed Jorge de Frutos’ attempt was unfairly disallowed in the 42nd minute.
Even though Barça had the majority of the possession, Rayo still appeared to be the more threatening team, and Wojciech Szczesny had to play very well in goal to thwart their attempts. De Frutos missed a header from close range in added time, but Rayo still had a chance to equalise.
Given that Barça’s rivals Real Madrid have already clashed with the Spanish FA and La Liga, Monday’s incidents contributed to the rising controversy surrounding refereeing in Spain. Monday’s outcome helped Barça take the lead in the rankings after Madrid and Atletico lost ground over the weekend.
They lead on goal differential but are tied with Madrid on 51 points. Rayo, who haven’t played in the league since early December, is in sixth place with 35 points, while Atlético is behind both by one point.
“Everyone is happy and I think we played well, but we can also do better. I think it was a great success for us, winning here today and moving to first place, it’s very positive,” Flick added. “However, I’m not a fan of looking at the table, we are still in February and there’s a long way to go. But I’m happy for the players. Their mentality is to fight until the end and we will take it one game at a time.”