Rayo Vallecano 2-3 Barcelona: Late goals earn champions dramatic win

Barcelona four points clear at the top of La Liga

Image: Luis Suarez celebrates his late winner for Barcelona

Late goals from Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez earned Barcelona a dramatic 3-2 win at struggling Rayo Vallecano on Saturday to keep them four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Suarez slotted in a cross from Jordi Alba from close range to give Barca a deserved lead in the 11th minute after they made a flying start at a ground where they had eased to victory in their previous five visits and had not lost since 2002.

But Rayo, 19th in the table and with only one win all season, fought their way back into the game and midfielder Jose Pozo smashed an equaliser in off the post in the 35th minute.

Rayo winger Alvaro Garcia sent the raucous home fans into delirium early in the second half by stabbing his side in front on the rebound after striker Raul de Thomas had struck the post with a diving header.

Barca might have had a sense of deja vu from their shock 2-1 defeat by Leganes two months ago in which they also threw away the lead, and the Catalans adopted no-nonsense tactics to get back into the game, throwing defender Gerard Pique up front and playing frequent high balls into the box.

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Image: Barcelona scored two goals in the final few minutes to earn the win

Substitute Dembele got Barca out of trouble with a perfectly struck half volley in the 87th minute after a knockdown by Pique.

Suarez, who scored a hat-trick in last week's drubbing of Real Madrid, completed the comeback three minutes later by arriving at the far post to steer in a cross from Sergi Roberto, striking his fifth goal in two games and a ninth in total to move top of the league's scoring charts.

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Ernesto Valverde's side lead La Liga with 24 points, four ahead of Atletico Madrid. Alaves can move within one point if they beat Eibar on Sunday.

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