FC Barcelona News: 18 February 2025

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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors

FC Barcelona 1-0 Rayo Vallecano: Top stuff - FC Barcelona
Barça are back on top of the league! Rayo Vallecano was never going to be an easy test, and in the end only a Robert Lewandowski penalty could split the sides in a remarkably well-fought contest, but it was enough to make sure of the three points that sent the Catalans up from third to first.

HIGHLIGHTS | Barça v Rayo Vallecano - FC Barcelona
All the action from the La Liga clash at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

FC Barcelona back on top of the league - FC Barcelona
Almost two months have gone by since FC Barcelona were last top of the league, just before Christmas on 21 December 2024. That chilly night at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barça outplayed Atlético Madrid for almost the entire game but ended up losing and the red-and-whites leapfrogged above them to claim first place.

Hansi Flick: 'It helps a lot when you keep a clean sheet' - FC Barcelona
The Barça coach, Frenkie de Jong and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny reflect on the win against Rayo Vallecano.

Lamine Yamal's 100th professional appearance - FC Barcelona
He is just seventeen, and the way he plays is way beyond compare. Against Rayo Vallecano on Monday, Lamine Yamal made his 100th senior appearance, 83 for Barça and the other 17 for his country.

De Jong: "There is nothing to celebrate yet" - Mundo Deportivo
Frenkie de Jong said after the hard-fought 1-0 defeat to Rayo that he was "happy with the win and first place, but there's still a long way to go, we're all very close in the standings and there's nothing to celebrate."

Cubarsí: "Keeping a clean sheet is very important" - Mundo Deportivo
Barça's 18-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsí did not have any euphoria about the agonising 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano that earned the Blaugrana team the top spot. "There's still a lot of La Liga left and we have to keep going like this. The feeling is good because we won a difficult game, which was very important to win in order to be first and we did it," explained the defender.

Balde: "We have known how to suffer" - Mundo Deportivo
Barça's left-back, after the victory against Rayo and the lead, gave value to "the defensive phase because we kept a clean sheet and you're not always going to win by several goals".

Source: barcablaugranes.com