There was more and better fluidity in the attacking front
The key observation stems from how the team's attacking front fared today. Given the last several performances of weak characters, this match offered more potential and optimism.
It was seen that the much-needed link between the midfield and the front three returned in spurts here and there. Vinicius Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo seemed to be a more tight and cohesive unit than they had previously been.
Yes, this was not their finest performance, but it was a promising start after a long time. The first half saw two terrific goals as a result of fantastic moves. While the Brazilian number 7 struggled against Rayo Vallecano's revitalized defense in the second half, he still provided a man-of-the-match performance.
Kylian Mbappe, too, demonstrated precise movements in the box. As far as I recall, he nearly scored twice in addition to the goal he got. Rodrygo Goes was both practical and decisive on the ball, but he missed the conversion in the last moments. He was decent, but not the best.