Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski converted a first-half penalty to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Monday, sending his team to the top of the LaLiga table.
The win allowed Barcelona to capitalize on dropped points by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid over the weekend, moving them from third to first place in the standings. Barcelona is now tied on 51 points with Real Madrid but leads on goal difference. Atletico Madrid trails by one point, while Rayo Vallecano sits sixth with 35 points.
Barcelona had to work hard to end Rayo’s nine-match unbeaten streak in the league. However, the match was marked by several controversial referee decisions. A foul by Pathé Ciss on Iñigo Martínez inside the box led to a penalty for Barcelona after a lengthy VAR review. Lewandowski stepped up to score the decisive goal in the 28th minute.
Rayo Vallecano players were left frustrated after their appeals for a penalty were waved off when Pau Cubarsí appeared to foul Ciss—an incident they felt mirrored the one that led to Barcelona’s penalty. To add to Rayo’s frustration, a goal by Jorge de Frutos in the 42nd minute was controversially ruled out.
