Barca advanced to the Semi-Finals of the Copa Del Rey after earning a well-fought victory against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou. The visitors were somehow holding on without conceding a goal but lost the entirety of the plot after Brais Mendes was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Sergio Busquets.
La Blaugrana started to dominate them after having a one-man advantage over the visitors and won by a goal’s margin which was scored by Dembele and assisted by his fellow Frenchman and club player Jules Kounde.
Player Ratings:
Marc Andre Ter Stegen: 7.0
Started the game on a high, particularly considering the ball distribution, for which he is renowned. Made good choices with the ball on his feet, picking up off the ball runs accurately. Misplaced a pass in the last 5 minutes, but he saved himself with another stupendous save yet again.
Alejandro Balde: 6.0
Not the best performance for the young left-back in Barca colours, as he was wasteful in key areas, and also lost the ball in a key area once, which led to the only shot from La Real, from Take Kubo. Maturity is a major miss, which comes with time.
Andreas Christensen: 7.0
On his way to becoming one of the best defensive acquisitions not only in Spain but in Europe, his performances have progressively become better and better. He oozes calmness and reliability. Has also become the primary ball-playing centre-back of the team, something in which he excels, as he pinged 7 accurate long balls out of an attempted 8. Also, lost only 1 duel in the whole game. Was subbed off in the 90th minute.
Ronald Araujo: 7.5
Another good game from the Uruguayan, who neutralized all the attacking threats from the Blue and whites. Won all of his ground duels, and made sure the opponents had a minimum sniff at the goalposts of the home team.
Jules Kounde: 8.0
We all knew how badly the club needed defensive reinforcements before the season started. But the effect the ex-Sevilla defender has had on the team is staggering. Was solid defensively, and looked threatening going up the pitch as well. Was a nuisance in the opponent’s box as well, and assisted the only goal of the game.
Pedri: 6.5
The spark was missing today, something we got too used to. Failed to influence the game as he does every other day as he was not operating in his natural position. Only had 1 key pass along with 2 duels won out of 6 contested, and 1 accurate long ball.
Sergio Busquets: 7.0
The veteran has been consistent for quite a bit now, and if accommodated well, could run the game still. Though reinforcement is needed nevertheless, he put on a splendid show in front of the home crowd. Had 133 touches, delivered 8 out of 10 long balls accurately, and won 9 out of 14 duels. Also made 2 interceptions and 6 tackles. The Architect, and one of his kind.
Frenkie De Jong: 6.5
A decent performance from the dutchman, however, he could have had a bigger impact on the game considering his calibre. Missed a half-decent chance, but made good runs into the box. Pinged 6 accurate long balls from an attempted seven, however, needs to be a little quicker in his decisions if he ever wants to replace Busquets.
Pablo Gavi: 7.0
Gavi’s performance will go under the radar, as he made beautiful off-the-ball runs for others to latch onto, and offered his usual extravagant work rate. Won 3 out of 4 aerial duels, and was fouled 2 times. He has integrated well as a pseudo winger, which showcases his brilliant tactical understanding while being an 18-year-old teenager.
Robert Lewandowski: 6.5
The polish marksman did everything well on his part, arriving in good areas, linking up well from deeper areas and even scoring a goal, which was ruled offside as the shot hit Frenkie who was in an offside position in a rather empty zone in front of the net. Had he not been there, Barcelona would have broken the deadlock in the first half itself.
Ousmane Dembele: 8.5
Threatening in the initial moments while going forward, showcasing how his pace and dribbling are his most feared weapons, which he always carries up his sleeves. Created a wonderful chance for Frenkie De jong who couldn’t make his shot count. Scored the 1st goal, and continued to be a danger lurking on the opponents till he played. A man-of-the-match performance from the winger.
Substitutes:
Franck Yannick Kessie: 6.0
The Ivorian was subbed in at the 76th minute of the game to replace Pedri Gonzalez. Had a chance in the dying moments of the game, which was hit fairly well, but missed the target by a whisker.
Raphinha: 6.5
Came in at the 77th minute of the game to replace Alejandro Balde. Made good runs forward and was threatening on the counters after the Catalan giants snoozed their ferocious offensive attempts. Could have had more impact, but he was not picked at the right time by his teammates in the sequence.
Ansu Fati: N/A
Not enough time on the field to warrant a rating.
Marcos Alonso: N/A
Not enough time on the field to warrant a rating.
