FC Barcelona stumble to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo in a lackluster performance away from home. Despite taking a two-goal lead, the Catalan giants squandered their advantage, marking a concerning display after an impressive run under Hansi Flick.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha found the back of the net, but the team’s reliance on teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was glaringly evident. Without their prodigious talent, Barcelona have now gone two consecutive matches without a victory, raising questions about their depth and adaptability.
Here are the player ratings for the Barcelona players.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 7.0
Another great performance from Inaki Pena who had all the basics down and did them perfectly. His saves were solid, and so was his timing in terms of coming off his line to help out his defense. Was unfortunate to concede the goals that he did.
Jules Kounde: 3.0
While Jules Koundé’s lack of pace left him exposed at times, he initially delivered a solid performance. Did well to keep Celta Vigo restrained initially, and also managed to get a beautiful assist for Raphinha’s opener.
However, later on, his unforgivable blunders ended up costing Barcelona two goals that completely changed the outcome of the match.
Pau Cubarsi: 5.5
A bit sluggish at times but was aware enough to stay on his toes till the end of the game. However, Barcelona started to crumble as soon as the red card came into play and the team’s defense ended up falling apart as a direct consequence of it.
Inigo Martinez: 5.0
Despite his experience, even Inigo Martinez had his nervy moments in this game and it ended up costing Barcelona near the end of the game when the red card came into play. Forgettable performance overall.
Gerard Martin: 5.0
Arguably the weak link in the first half, Gerard Martin had a rather frustrating 45 minutes. Took a very early yellow card and was also incredibly fortunate not to concede a second yellow card right before the half-time mark. Was replaced by Hector Fort for the second half.
Marc Casado: 6.5
Conceded an unnecessary red card when the game was fully done and dusted, and that ended up turning everything on its head. One blunder that changed the entire trajectory of the match. Despite having a solid game otherwise, that mistake is too costly to ignore.
Gavi: 7.5
A solid first half from Gavi saw the young Barcelona midfielder prove exactly why his return is such a blessing for the team. Technically brilliant, and also made some key interceptions every now and then, Gavi had a great outing. Despite a rather nervy injury scare, he managed to stay on and continue his game.
Raphinha: 7.0
Scored a brilliant goal early on in the game. Unfortunately, however, his efforts would end up being in vain as the team’s defense ended up crumbling at the back no matter how much the forwards tried to compensate for it.
Pedri: 6.5
Not exactly a typical Pedri performance given how less involved he was in this game for much of the match, but did show glimpses of brilliance whenever he did receive the ball. Solid enough outing for Pedri, who did what he had to do.
Dani Olmo: 6.0
A quiet performance from Dani Olmo according to his own standards, but one where he managed to do just well enough to keep the width for the team and open up spaces for his other teammates to exploit. However, it was still a rather uncharacteristic performance for the Spaniard.
Robert Lewandowski: 7.0
Finally managed to get his goal in the game after trying constantly to get into promising positions. His hold-up play was also solid and had a decent game overall as he continues to push for the Pichichi.
Substitutes:
Hector Fort: 6.5
Was definitely an improvement over Gerard Martin, and was quick to adapt to the game’s tempo. Unfortunately, could not help Barcelona avoid the collapse that occurred near the end.
Fermin Lopez: 6.0
Decent cameo from the Spaniard.
Frenkie de Jong: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the match to warrant a rating.
Pablo Torre: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the match to warrant a rating.
Pau Victor: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the match to warrant a rating.
