After relentless activity during the summer transfer window which came to a climax on Friday when they were finally allowed to register most of their new signings, FC Barcelona opened their 2022/23 campaign with a disappointing draw.

The Blaugrana hosted Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou on Saturday for the first match of their La Liga season, and despite having their reinforcements available, they could only scrape up a 0-0 final score. There is no doubt that Barcelona dominated the match in terms of statistics, but possession and attempts do not count for anything at the end of the day except for the points they had to share.

New arrivals Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie and Raphinha were at least able to get their feet wet by making their competitive debuts for their new club. There was an air of optimism in the air as over 80,000 spectators flocked to the stadium, but that confidence started to waver as the match progressed.

Lewandowski did give the fans something to get excited about in the 12th minute as he managed to find the back of the net. Unfortunately, it was called offside and he will have to wait longer to officially open his account.

Next, Dembele and Raphinha showed off their chemistry with a combined attempt, but the Brazilian sent the ball high off target. Pedri also fired a strike that missed the mark, and they were soon facing threats from the other side.

Alvaro Garcia broke past Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo and found himself in close proximity to the goal. Luckily for the hosts, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was alert and managed to keep the Rayo player at bay with a save from close range.

On the other end, Rayo Vallecano keeper Stole Dimitrievski also did his part, denying Ansu Fati's long-range torpedo. Later in the game, he also stopped another shot on target by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who came in from the bench.

Barcelona newcomer Franck Kessie also managed to beat the keeper, but Fati was offside heading into the goal and the scoreboard remained clean.

Both fans and players started to get frustrated as the game drew to a close, and things got even worse after captain Sergio Busquets picked up a red card from a double yellow in the closing minutes.

Overall, Barcelona looked threatening, but that means nothing if they can't score and rack up points. Manager Xavi Hernandez would have wanted a better opening match, but a whole season can't be judged from one game.

Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano will be happy to bring home a point after a challenging day away against the Catalans.

(From L) Summer signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Andreas Christensen line up alongside their new Barcelona teammates
(From L) Summer signings Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Andreas Christensen line up alongside their new Barcelona teammates