MADRID, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona continued its perfect start to the La Liga season after the international break, while controversy surrounding Vinicius Junior overshadowed Real Madrid's narrow home victory over Villarreal. Here are four things we learned from the weekend's action in Spain.
1. No Raphinha, no problem for Barcelona
Barcelona's leading scorer Raphinha missed Saturday's 3-0 win over Getafe with a thigh injury, but Gabriel Jesus stepped up to show he can lead the attack in the Brazilian's absence.
The result was rarely in doubt after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the second minute against a Getafe side that managed just 20 percent possession.
Barcelona has now won all eight of its league matches this season at an average of more than three goals per game.
Saturday's comfortable victory underlined the attacking options available to coach Hansi Flick, even without one of his most influential players.
2. Vinicius remains a headache for Real Madrid
Vinicius Junior's new contract with Real Madrid this summer was expected to help ease tensions between the Brazilian and the club's supporters, but his relationship with sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd remains strained.
Despite his talent, Vinicius continues to attract boos from some home fans, and Saturday's 1-0 win over Villarreal brought another controversy.
The Brazilian had a goal disallowed after a VAR review showed he had pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba, an incident that also resulted in his dismissal.
Vinicius reacted angrily and had to be restrained by teammates. He now faces a possible suspension, with the length of any ban yet to be determined.
The incident has raised fresh questions about his discipline and his uneasy relationship with Real Madrid's supporters.
3. Encouraging signs for Aguirre despite Valencia draw
Javier Aguirre had to wait less than two minutes for the first goal of his tenure as Valencia coach, with Dani Raba putting his side ahead away to Racing Santander on Sunday.
Although Valencia eventually settled for a 2-2 draw at El Sardinero, there were encouraging signs for the new coach.
Valencia played with greater intensity and aggression, showing the determination it will need to climb away from the relegation places.
Aguirre will be disappointed not to have secured all three points, but the performance offered reasons for optimism as he looks to improve results and restore confidence among supporters at Mestalla.
4. Vallecas protest understandable but counterproductive
Saturday's match between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao was abandoned after home supporters repeatedly threw small plastic balls and paper airplanes onto the field at the Estadio de Vallecas.
The protest reflected growing frustration among Rayo fans, whose team was forced to play its first three league matches of the season away from home because of safety concerns at the stadium.
Some supporters blame club president Raul Martin Presa for the problems and fear he wants to move Rayo away from its traditional home.
Their anger is understandable, given the importance of Vallecas to the club's identity, but disrupting matches risks making the situation worse.
Rayo could face a stadium closure of between one and three matches, according to reports, potentially depriving the team of home support just as it has returned to its own ground. ■
