Barcelona survive a major scare as they come out victorious in the Catalan derby following a thrilling 1-0 victory over Girona. Here are how the players and how they stood their individual own during the game.
Player Ratings:
Marc Andre Ter-Stegen: 6.0
Did not have much to do except for snuffing out half chances and containing Girona’s crosses and passes into the box.
Marcos Alonso: 5.0
The newly renewed Alonso was not a new player whatsoever during this bout. Sluggish and basically non-existent in his offensive contributions, he was also quite the lethargic presence in defense as well.
Ronald Araujo: 7.5
Solid as a rock, the Uruguayan was Barcelona’s insurance at the back and managed to nullify a lot of Girona’s dangerous attacks.
Eric Garcia: 6.5
Not exactly a star performer but was quite reliable in his ball progression. The team definitely does feel more secure with Andreas Christensen in his stead though.
Jules Kounde: 7.0
His versatility and ability to snuff out danger even when no one else sees it coming is indeed a blessing for Barcelona’s defensive line. Commendable performance from the Frenchman.
Sergio Busquets: 6.5
Showed some moments of pure brilliance but was also let down by his lack of athleticism consistently when needing to track back on Girona’s counters.
Gavi: 6.0
A rather uncharacteristically quiet night for the youngster, Gavi did well enough on his own in terms of obliging to his role.
Frenkie De Jong: 6.5
The Dutchman is crucial in connecting Barcelona’s frontline to the midfield thanks to his rather great spatial awareness. He allowed a lot of Barcelona’s passes and moves to flow in a fluid manner time and time again.
Raphinha: 6.0
Constantly attempted outrageous crosses and passes to rather mixed results. His tendency to go for the outrageous is not always met with successful effects, but it does provide Barcelona an edge from time to time.
Ansu Fati: 5.0
Been lackluster for a majority of the match, Ansu Fati has seemingly become a liability more than a reliability at the Centre-forward position. Luckily, Robert Lewandowski will be back by the time Barcelona come to face Real Betis.
Ousmane Dembele: N/A
Injured pretty early on in the game before the 30th minute mark. Did try to influence the game and made some daring runs during his time on the pitch however.
Substitutes:
Jordi Alba: 7.5
Assisted Barcelona’s only goal of the game and his substitution provided a consistent surge in attacking threats and chances for La Blaugrana. Much more of an improved performance from the veteran.
Pedri: 8.0
Scored the deadlock breaker and showcased his mesmerizing skills as well as composure time and time again after being brought on for Dembele. His goal in this game takes his tally to 6 across all competitions this season.
Alejandro Balde: 6.0
Physical and athletic as he typically is, Alejandro Balde was brought on late by Xavi to add some more dynamism to Barcelona’s rather lethargic legs near the end.
Franck Kessie: N/A
Not enough time to merit a rating.