Rayo: Cobeño; Rober (Aitor
Nuñéz 29'), Arribas, Pulido, Tito; Lass, Movilla (Diamanka 48'),
Trashorras, Michu; Tamudo, Diego Costa (Diego Benito 64'). 4-4-2.
Barcelona: Pinto; Montoya, Puyol, Mascherano, Adriano
(Dani Alves 59'); Thiago, Busquets (Afellay 72'), Keita; Pedro, Messi, Alexis
(Tello 80'). 4-3-3.
Goals:
0-1. 15. Messi. Got on the end of Pedro's cross to
turn ball in on far post.
0-2. 26. Rober (own goal). Turned Alexis cross in
to own net trying to clear.
0-3. 38. Keita. Fired shot past Cobeño
after Messi passed across area.
0-4. 46. Pedro. Following up after Messi's
shot came back off the crossbar.
0-5. 76. Thiago. Ran in to head Dani Alves
cross down past keeper.
0-6. 87. Pedro. Controlled Messi pass and steered
shot wide of Cobeño.
0-7. 89. Messi. Struck low shot wide of keeper
after Pedro laid ball across.
Yellow cards: Rober 20', Tito 39', Arribas 45', Pedro 51', Michu 91'.
Barcelona thrashed Rayo Vallecano 0-7 in the last match on Sunday evening to prevent Real Madrid from prematurely celebrating the league title. This had been one of the most difficult weeks for Barça in a long time, losing to Madrid in the Nou Camp, getting knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea, and then the bombshell that Guardiola was leaving, and there were many doubts as to how they would react. By half time though they were already three up, Messi turning in Pedro's cross for the opener, Rober putting through his own net trying to clear from Alexis, and Keita latching on to a Messi assist to make it three. Guardiola and his successor Tito Vilanova had given a rare start to Pinto, in part to ensure that Valdés won the best goalkeeping prize, and in part to give the number two keeper some practise before the cup final, and he did have to make a couple of saves, in particular from Trashorras and Lass. But a minute after the restart Pedro made it four after Messi's shot came off the bar, and Thiago, Pedro and Messi added three more in the last quarter of an hour to keep up the seven point gap behind the leaders.