Barcelona's attacking midfielder Dani Olmo expressed his joy on Tuesday regarding his dream debut for the Spanish giants, as he came off the bench to score the winning goal in a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory against Rayo Vallecano. The 26-year-old, who was signed from RB Leipzig after playing a pivotal role in Spain's Euro 2024 win, had to wait two games to be registered by Barca due to La Liga's stringent financial control rules. Olmo, who spent seven years in Barcelona's youth academy before joining Dinamo Zagreb at 16, said the wait was worthwhile. "I've been anticipating my debut for a long time and it couldn't have been better," Olmo told DAZN. "Barcelona hasn't won here for many years, it's a tough place to play, so the result is just amazing." Olmo felt great and was thrilled to have contributed to the team, especially by scoring. He is delighted.
Barcelona leads the standings with nine points from three games, two points ahead of second-placed Villarreal. They will host Real Valladolid next on Saturday. Unai Lopez put Rayo ahead in the first half, but Olmo's entry at the break energized the Catalans, who equalized through Pedri before Olmo scored the winner. Rayo Vallecano, celebrating its centenary year, signed former Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez earlier in the week, who watched the game from the presidential box as the capital club started strongly. The hosts attacked with intent and were rewarded when Jorge De Frutos crossed for Lopez, who finished with a low effort at the near post. Rayo minimized Barcelona's threat in the first half, except for Lamine Yamal's occasional magic. Ferran Torres was replaced at half-time, and Olmo made his debut after missing the first two league matches due to registration delays. Olmo took up a central attacking midfield position, and the Catalans started to create chances. Robert Lewandowski missed a chance to equalize, and Raphinha's free-kick narrowly missed the target. Olmo hit the crossbar with a 30-yard drive. Barca's pressure paid off when Pedri equalized on the hour mark. A second goal was controversially disallowed after a VAR review, but Olmo eventually sealed the win after being set up by Yamal. Barcelona played with renewed energy in the second half, a contrast to their recent late-game performances, and looked notably fitter under Flick. Real Madrid will visit Las Palmas on Thursday.
