After a nail-biting encounter, FC Barcelona managed to overcome Real Betis. The Catalan giants managed a convincing 4-2 victory over their rivals from Andalusia despite being away from home. Barcelona, despite the uncertainties during the game, kept their fighting spirit alive.
With goals from Ferran Torres and Joao Felix sealing the deal, Barça were on a roll. A convincing victory that went beyond just the scoreline. Even the control over the game from Xavi’s men was sublime and showcased exactly what they are capable of.
Here is how the players fared against Real Betis.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 6.5
Could have done much better to prevent Isco from scoring the first goal for Real Betis. However, he chose to punch the ball rather than hold it or grab on to it. In moments like these, Barcelona definitely miss a certain German.
Alejandro Balde: 6.5
It seems that Alejandro Balde can not stick to one performance level. He continues to show glimpses of his fantastic talents, but then brings everyone back to reality with his frustrating decision-making.
Pau Cubarsi: 8.0
Few words can describe how magical Pau Cubarsi’s La Liga debut was. Extremely composed and mature well beyond his years, his passing was almost flawless. A great asset for Barcelona, the 16-year-old will surely provide even more joy to the club beyond this game.
Ronald Araujo: 7.5
The Uruguayan gave a better performance than his last one, that’s for sure. However, it seems that Ronald Araujo has become quite willing to engage in duels that he does not need to. Did cause a bit of frustration at times.
Jules Kounde: 7.0
In terms of his contributions as a fullback, Jules Kounde continues to be consistent enough. Even though it is not exactly his desired position, he manages to get the job done whenever he is asked to. Had a decent enough outing.
Frenkie De Jong: 7.5
The orchestrator of a lot of plays, the Dutchman was truly running the show at times. His progressive runs through the middle and his vision to pick out the runs of his teammates were both vital in creating several great chances for Barcelona.
Pedri: 8.0
When it comes to implementing Xavi’s game plan, perhaps no one does it better than Pedri. Understanding exactly when to pause the game and when to inject energy, the Spaniard caused Real Betis a lot of problems. Even provided the assist for the opening goal.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7.0
Alongside Pedri and De Jong, Ilkay Gundogan was one of the best players when it came to ball progression against Real Betis. His passes and coordination with his teammates allowed Barcelona to almost seamlessly pass the ball around at times.
Ferran Torres: 9.5
What words can even describe the performance given by Ferran Torres. Absolutely astonishing stuff from the Spanish forward against Real Betis. With a hattrick of surreal goals and a crucial assist as well, four goal contributions warrant Torres a near-perfect rating.
Robert Lewandowski: 6.5
Unlike his teammates in attack, the Polish striker was rather underwhelming. His positioning seemed off at times, and his runs were equally as unconvincing. A performance to forget.
Lamine Yamal: 9.0
Beyond just his magical dribbling and highlights upon highlights of his talent, Lamine Yamal was lethal for Barcelona. Providing the assist for the final goal, he also indirectly assisted the second. Absolutely sensational performance from the 16-year-old.
Substitutes:
Vitor Roque: 6.0
Arrived in place of Robert Lewandowski, but could not make the impact he would have hoped for. Also managed to be given a yellow card.
Fermin Lopez: 7.0
The young Spaniard was quite the tricky problem for Real Betis to deal with. Constantly on their back and not giving them space to think, Fermin’s introduction was crucial.
Joao Felix: 8.0
If this game had a moment of magical clinical finishing, it was Felix’s goal. A trivela shot to bring Barcelona back into the lead, the Portuguese forward made his minutes count and allowed Barça to finally breathe.
