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Rayo ends Barca’s unique run
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Possession-king Barcelona had less than 50 percent of the ball for the first time in five years when it won 4-0 at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday.
The Spanish champion always takes pride in its technical ability and the amount of possession it enjoys but Barcelona has been undergoing something of a change in strategy under new coach Gerardo Martino.
The Argentine has been encouraging the team to mix up its playing style to avoid predictability and the sight of goalkeeper Victor Valdes and his defenders drilling long passes has become more common this season.
Against lowly Rayo, which also values possession highly under coach Paco Jemez and which has the second highest percentage figures behind Barcelona in La Liga, the champion finally met its match.
Rayo edged it 51 to 49 percent on Saturday to end a run of 316 games where Barcelona has controlled possession, according to the sports and media company Infostrada.
“Rayo pressured us a lot, and high up the pitch, and at times made it difficult to play the ball out from the back with short passes,” Martino said after winning the game with a hat-trick from Pedro and a goal by Cesc Fabregas. “Sometimes in these types of games when under intense pressure it is necessary to earn ourselves some breathing room.”
The last team to register higher possession figures in a match against Barcelona was arch-rival Real Madrid. Real triumphed 4-1 in a ‘Clasico’ at the Bernabeu in May 2008, just before possession guru Pep Guardiola took the helm for four trophy-ladened years with the club.
Barcelona tops La Liga with 15 points from five games.
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