After what felt like an eternity, FC Barcelona emerged victorious in a hard-fought win over visiting side Valencia CF. Courtesy of this win, Barcelona go 10 points clear at the top of the table temporarily.
With a well-rounded performance despite a rather unfortunate red card, Barcelona managed to keep their opposition at bay and come out with all 3 points. Here is how the players fared in this game.
Player Ratings:
Marc Andre Ter Stegen: 7.0
Made a rather dangerous pass following a subsequent dangerous pass from Ferran Torres, but despite that obvious error, the goalkeeper did not have much else to do himself to keep Barcelona safe and victorious.
Alejandro Balde: 7.5
The youngster’s quick runs and lightning-fast work rate were all there at display in this strong performance from the Barcelona academy player. Great performance by Balde.
Andreas Christensen: 7.5
Absolutely rock solid performance by the Danish international. Even without the presence of Ronald Araujo, the ex-Chelsea player stood his ground and kept Valencia at bay in what was an extremely high-intensity Valencia near the end of the game.
Ronald Araujo: 7.0
The Uruguayan had a strong showing at the back, consistently showcasing leadership as well as defensive character whenever called upon. Ended up getting dismissed due to a rather illogical foul at a stage of the game when conceding a goal would not have been the end-all for Barcelona.
Jules Kounde: 6.5
The Frenchman had his moments, but it was mainly his a rather lethargic running and irresponsible decision-making that almost cost Barcelona at times. His miss-timed headed pass was also the reason why Ronald Araujo ended up getting red-carded.
Sergio Busquets: 8.0
Arguably the man of the match this time around, the Barcelona veteran’s highlight of the game was indefinitely his peach of an assist to Raphinha that glided all across the Valencia defense and right into the trajectory that his Brazilian teammate wanted. Classy performance.
Frenkie De Jong: 6.5
The Dutch midfielder had a decent outing. Despite this, Oscar Hernandez and his brother Xavi possibly wanted to field a different characteristic or style within their midfield, and thus brought off De Jong at half-time.
Sergi Roberto: 6.5
More or less there and about during the game, but did not come to a moment where he substantially altered proceedings nor had a massive role during the time he was on the field. Despite that, decent performance from the versatile Spaniard.
Ansu Fati: 6.0
The young La Masia graduate fields yet another lackluster performance. Missing a clear chance from Raphinha’s cross as well as making some absurd decisions across the match while he was on the field.
Ferran Torres: 5.0
Absolutely abysmal performance by the forward. Blundered some dangerous passes back towards his own goal from which Barcelona could have easily conceded. Also missed a penalty he adamantly kept away from Ansu Fati.
Raphinha: 8.0
Courtesy of both the Brazilian’s strong run and great header placement, Barcelona are able to leave this game as the victors. His quick feet and stylish flair were all on display this time around against Valencia.
Substitutions:
Franck Kessie: 6.5
Brought on for Frenkie De Jong, the Ivorian’s introduction brought some much-appreciated strength and character into the midfield. His bravery in going in for duels as well as his commanding persona all helped the team while he was on the field.
Marcos Alonso: 6.5
Introduced soon after Ronald Araujo was dismissed, and clearly demonstrated his quality and experience. His aggressive retakes of possession and smart clearances were crucial in seeing out the match near the end for Barcelona.
Eric Garcia: N/A
Not enough time/influence to warrant a rating.
Angel Alarcon: N/A
Not enough time/influence to warrant a rating.