With seven games remaining, Barca leads the league with 76 points, 11 more than Real Madrid in second place, who was also humiliated 4-2 at lowly Girona on Tuesday. With 43 points, Rayo Vallecano is ninth and four points behind the slots needed to qualify for Europe. With a brave effort in front of their supporters at a packed Estadio de Vallecas, Rayo ended Barca's league-leading seven-game undefeated record.

They outplayed a sloppy Barca team for the whole of the game, and in the 19th minute they took the lead after Sergio Camello fouled Gavi and swiftly feed Alvaro Garcia, who sent an unstoppable low shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The home team continued to push and missed a few opportunities, but they received a fright when Robert Lewandowski appeared to have equalised in the 40th minute until the VAR replay revealed he was just slightly offside.