BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski endured a disappointing debut for Barcelona on Saturday as Rayo Vallecano held to a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou in their Spanish league opener.
Lewandowski and his young team-mates were kept well in check by Rayo, who also proved dangerous on the break and were only prevented from scoring by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
More than 81,000 fans turned out to see the new-look Barcelona that club president Joan Laporta built after mortgaging the club’s future to get the money needed to sign Lewandowski and four other new players.
But the biggest applause Lewandowski received from the crowd was to show their appreciation for his defensive rush late in the game with Barcelona stifled in attack. The closest the former Bayern Munich star came to scoring was a well-struck header over the crossbar in the first half.
Barcelona finished with 10 men after Sergio Busquets received a second booking in stoppage time when he swung his arm into the face of Rayo substitute Radamel Falcao. Falcao then headed in what looked like an offside winner as Rayo went close to a third straight win over Barcelona after they stunned the Catalan club twice last season.
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Lewandowski, winger Raphinha and defender Andreas Christensen, who also joined Barcelona this summer, joined Xavi Hern?ndez in the starting XI. The three players along with his fellow newcomer Franck Kessi? and Ousmane Demb?l? and Sergi Roberto were only cleared to play by the Spanish league on Friday after Barcelona sold another stake in their domestic production company to improve its troubled financial balance.
The delicate state of Barcelona’s finances meant they were unable to sign Jules Kound?, their key defensive signing, in time for the season opener.
