Draw for Rayo Vallecano holds back Barcelona's initial victory in their champion match

In a thrilling encounter at the Balaidos stadium, Barcelona drew 1-1 against Celta Vigo, with Hansi Flick's men trailing the leaders by two points in La Liga.

Dani Olmo and Andreas Christensen were brought into the starting line-up for Barcelona, aiming to bolster the team's defence which has shown persistent struggles, mirroring the deficiencies seen in their comeback win at Levante.

The hosts took the lead through a penalty kick by Lamine Yamal in the 40th minute, with Augusto Batalla sent the wrong way. However, controversies surrounded the awarding of the penalty.

Fran Perez scored a goal for the hosts, leveling the match after the break, assisted by a corner. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia made several fine saves for Barcelona, with one superb save early on to thwart Andrei Ratiu.

In another La Liga match, Athletic Bilbao defeated Real Betis 2-1. Marc Bartra deflected a cross into his own net for Athletic Bilbao's first goal, while Aitor Paredes scored for Bilbao, contributing to their victory. Cedric Bakambu scored a late goal for Real Betis, but they could not find an equalizer.

Meanwhile, at the Estadio de Vallecas, Rayo Vallecano and Real Betis played out an entertaining match on a dry and scruffy pitch. Isi Palazon's goal for Rayo Vallecano was disallowed for offside.

Barcelona's teenage star, Lamine Yamal, said the team needs to come back strongly after the international break. Despite the draw, Flick stated that his team did not deserve to win the match.

Third-place Villarreal were held to a 1-1 draw by Celta Vigo, dropping their first points of the campaign. Barcelona's next match will be against Villarreal, a crucial encounter for both teams as they aim to climb up the La Liga table.