Barcelona make it 6 out of 6 wins as they hand Villarreal an emphatic 5-1 drubbing. Lets go through our player ratings for the game.
Ter Stegen: 7/10
Made a tremendous save against Pepe in a 1 on 1 scenario to prevent conceding a guaranteed goal. As he made a great effort to intercept a corner, Ter Stegen did a great deal of damage to his right knee and it is probable that the German’s season is over.
Jules Kounde: 8/10
Kounde put forth an amazing performance in both defense and attack. He was making strides in attack and providing dangerous crosses into the box while also linking up with his fellow peers in the area.
Moreover, his defensive interventions put Baena at bay and minimised the offense that the left flank of Villarreal generated with the exception of certain scenarios where Kounde was caught defending too narrowly.
Inigo Martinez: 7.5/10
Sensational in his pivotal distribution and adept at clearing the ball, Inigo did well in the minimal scenarios where he was tested. However, he was not able to cover up for his high defensive line when Villarreal were able to get in behind.
Sergi Dominguez: 7/10
Dominguez was able to distribute the ball with comfort and fare well against isolated defensive scenarios. Nevertheless, his defensive positioning was not ideal as he left a fair deal of spaces in behind.
Gerard Martin: 7/10
Troubled by Pepe all night long, Martin could not do much to minimise the Ivorian’s attacking threat. However, he made some decent recoveries and was solid as a rock in his distribution of the ball
Eric García: 6.5/10
Entrusted as a defensive midfielder, Garcia did make his fair share of defensive interventions and did well to not misplace the ball whenever in possession. However in phases where Villarreal were relentlessly pressuring the Catalans, Garcia was a complete non factor as he does not possess the skill to receive the ball on the half turn and control the tempo of the game.
Pedri: 7.5/10
Far from his most awe inspiring display, Pedri was solid at circulating the ball. He was not seen making as many carries to progress the ball on his own and was barely involved in the counter pressing. However, he moved the ball into the correct paths in the final third which is how he was able to assist Pablo Torre’s goal.
Pablo Torre: 8.5/10
Finally getting his well deserved start, Pablo Torre showed Hansi Flick the talent that he truly possesses. Although his play on the ball was wasteful at times, he was able to produce a productive performance as it was his perfect through ball that met Lewandowski’s finish to give Barca their first. Moreover, he scored a thunderous strike from outside of the box with his last touch of the game.
Raphinha: 8.5/10
Despite being unproductive in the final third and a source of continuous dispossessions for a majority of the game, Raphinha finished off the game in impressive fashion as he bagged a brace in the last 20 odd minutes of the game. His second goal demonstrated the potential of his finishing abilities as he hit the ball on the half volley in his stride.
Lamine Yamal: 9/10
With every game that Barcelona play, this 17 year old sensation continues to mesmerise the footballing world with his abilities. Yamal had a masterclass in playmaking where he had a primary role in generating Barcelona’s second goal. He also won a penalty for the Blaugrana that Lewandowski failed to convert. Yamal generated yet another opportunity for Raphinha on the counter, but the Brazilian failed to provide the clinical touch.
However in the 83rd minute on the break, Yamal had the ball in his half and he looked up and saw Raphinha running ahead on the opposite flank. He goes onto produce the most perfect trivela pass that bounces into the path of Raphinha and gets Yamal his well deserved assist as he continues on the streak of having a goal contribution in each of Barca’s games this season.
Robert Lewandowski: 9/10
Under utilised against Monaco, the serial goalscorer from Poland was hungry for goals and his runs from the first minutes of the game showed that was indeed the case. He bagged the first 2 goals of the game with impressive poacher’s play. The importance of these goals cannot be underestimated as they occured in phases where Villarreal looked at their threatening best. Lewandowski had the perfect opportunity to bag his hat trick from the penalty spot but unfortunately hit the post.
Substitutes
Inaki Pena: 7/10
Marc Casado: 7.5/10
Pau Cubarsi: 6.5/10
Pau Victor: 6.5/10
Hector Fort: 6/10
