Very few words can describe the absolute rollercoaster that Barcelona went on tonight. A thrilling encounter, it ultimately ended in defeat for Barça as Villarreal took away all three points through a 3-5 defeat for La Blaugrana. Xavi leaves the Montjuic stadium frustrated, as Barcelona fail to impress their home fans.
Ultimately, coming back from 2-0 down seemed like an impossible task at one point, but Barcelona only briefly managed to overcome it. Despite managing to go 3-2 up, they came tumbling down just as quickly. Here is how the Barcelona players fared.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 6.5
Could not have done much else for any of the goals that Barcelona conceded. However, as the game went on, his composure on the ball improved. Thanks to that, Barcelona managed to improve their play a lot as well.
Hector Fort: 7.5
Solid performance again from the youngster, the 17-year-old did well as a left-back yet again. While it did seem that he was disconnected from his players at times, he was individually just as competent as always.
Andreas Christensen: 5.5
A rather forgettable first half for Andreas Christensen is all there was to remember. In fact, he was among the first to be replaced at halftime by Xavi. It seems that he still has not fully recovered from the knock he took in the last game.
Ronald Araujo: 7.5
The Uruguayan was as convincing as always in the back line. It was his pressure that ensured Villarreal scored a crucial own goal leading to it becoming Barça’s third. Strong performance from the central defender.
Jules Kounde: 7.0
Yet another solid performance from Jules Kounde as the team’s right-back, he continues to perform in that position despite it not being his specialty. Better performance than the one he gave in the game against Athletic Club.
Oriol Romeu: 6.5
Decent performance from the Spaniard, but one without purpose it seemed. No verticality with his passes led to Barcelona seeming almost toothless in the first half. After his substitution, the Catalan giants felt much more alive in the second half.
Frenkie De Jong: 7.0
Unlike his final two partners in the midfield, Frenkie De Jong had a rather quiet game. While he did his part and introduced some creativity and effort whenever he could, he was not as alive in the match as he usually is.
Ilkay Gundogan: 8.0
Irrespective of the result, Ilkay Gundogan’s performance and efforts should not go unnoticed. His goal and creative passes throughout the match were crucial in helping Barcelona get as back into the game as they could.
Joao Felix: 6.0
The Portuguese talent had another quiet outing for La Blaugrana in the first half. However, even the players around him were not worth praising for the contributions they made to facilitate his progression.
Robert Lewandowski: 5.5
An unintentional assist was the highlight of the game for Robert Lewandowski. The Polish attacker continues to frustrate with his delayed passes and his undeniably weak link-up play with his teammates this season.
Lamine Yamal: 7.0
Despite still just being 16, Lamine Yamal is one of the few bright spots in this time. Continuously creating danger, the young Barcelona prodigy continues along his surreal trajectory. His presence gives the team hope, but it seems that even that is not enough to win.
Substitutes:
Joao Cancelo: 6.0
Managed to create some danger with his crosses and technique, but ultimately was not too effective either. Made a huge error that ended up costing Barcelona and giving a free goal to Villarreal.
Pau Cubarsi: 6.5
Despite his tender age, Pau Cubarsi remains a player with great maturity. Completing key passes and dealing with defensive matters as best as he could, the young Spaniard showcases a lot of promise.
Pedri: 7.5
A real key to unlocking Barcelona in the second half, Pedri was unmistakably brilliant. His goal was another highlight that gets added to his plethora of great moments for the team despite the loss.
Ferran Torres: 5.5
Missed a great chance that he should have made more of. Apart from that, a slow game from the Spaniard is all that can be remembered except for a few promising runs.
Vitor Roque: 5.5
Did not get to have much influence but did come into a few promising positions.
