Rayo stun Barcelona

Rayo’s Garcia

Barcelona suffered a shock 1-0 defeat by Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, handing Real Madrid the chance to win La Liga if they draw at home to Espanyol next weekend.

Barca's place in the top four is still not secure either after a third consecutive defeat at Camp Nou continued their late-season wobble and saw them squander the chance to pull away in the race for Champions League qualification.

Rayo took the lead in the seventh minute when Isi Palazon danced through Barcelona's midfield and spotted the curving run of Alvaro Garcia, who had dashed inside from the left. Sergino Dest was too slow to react and Garcia struck quickly, controlling with his left and firing in with his right, giving Marc-Andre ter Stegen no chance to adjust.

Madrid remain 15 points clear with five games left to play and while Barcelona have a better head-to-head, Carlo Ancelotti's side know they will be uncatchable if they take just a point from Espanyol on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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