Dani Olmo made an impressive entrance into Barcelona's first team, netting the decisive goal in a thrilling 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano to kick off the 2024-25 Spanish La Liga season.
After being signed from German Bundesliga club Leipzig and registered with the first team on Tuesday morning, Olmo was introduced at halftime, replacing Ferran Torres. His debut was marked by a moment of brilliance when he found the back of the net in the 82nd minute with a precise left-footed shot into the far corner, assisted by Lamine Yamal.
\"I was anxious to debut and it couldn't have been better,\" Olmo expressed. \"I'm glad I finally got to play and that I was able to help the team.\" Earlier, Olmo had come close to scoring in the 58th minute when his shot hit the crossbar.
Barcelona's new head coach, Hansi Flick, praised Olmo's performance, stating, \"Yeah, he scored the goal, this is why we are happy that he is in our team. We deserved these three points.\"
The match saw Rayo Vallecano, celebrating their centennial season, take an early lead through Unai López nine minutes into the game. However, Barcelona responded swiftly with Pedri leveling the score just two minutes later, thanks to an assist from Raphinha.
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski had a goal disallowed in the 71st minute after a video review identified a foul by defender Jules Kounde in the buildup. Despite the victory, Flick described it as a \"sad\" win due to a knee injury sustained by 17-year-old midfielder Marc Bernal in second-half stoppage time.
\"We win, it's okay, but when you see the dressing room, no one is happy,\" Flick lamented.
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Dani Olmo scores in La Liga debut as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1
cgtn.com
