By the tightest of margins, FC Barcelona managed a victory over Las Palmas. The clash at the Montjuic Stadium was one where Barça needed three points, and that is what they got. Moreover, the close scoreline barely justifies just how much better Barcelona were than their opponents.
Ultimately, through a goal scored by Raphinha, Barcelona guaranteed their victory. For now, they inch closer to Real Madrid while their opponents have a game in hand. However, all Barcelona can now focus on is ensuring they do things right on their end.
Here is how the Barcelona players fared against Las Palmas.
Player Ratings:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 7.0
Despite not having to do much in the aspect of making saves, Ter Stegen was solid regardless. His passing was sublime, and ensured that no amount of pressure from Las Palmas could put Barcelona in any kind of trouble.
Joao Cancelo: 7.5
The Portuguese fullback remains crucial to the way Xavi’s team plays. While he has his moments of mischief, that is the risk one takes when trusting Cancelo. The Barcelona star ended up creating several clear chances for his teammates and amazed with his skill on other occasions.
Inigo Martinez: 6.5
Had some moments of solid passing that saved Barcelona a lot of trouble. Apart from that, Las Palmas was too well contained by Barcelona that Inigo Martinez himself did not have to intervene too often.
Pau Cubarsi: 7.5
While it is true that Pau Cubarsi was given a bit of a tough time by a certain Las Palmas player who himself is formerly from Barcelona at the start of the game, he recovered well. Not too long after, he was back to delivering the sublime passes that make him as effective as he is.
Jules Kounde: 7.0
Continues to improve with every passing game and find his best version again. The Frenchman, despite his continuity as a right-back, offers both defensive security and offensive aid whenever it is needed by Xavi’s Barcelona.
Ilkay Gundogan: 8.0
Effective and intelligent as always, Ilkay Gundogan was once again crucial to Barça’s victory. While many would argue he needs some rest at this point, he keeps making it a hard decision for Xavi as he continues to perform at such an elite level.
Sergi Roberto: 7.0
Fittingly, Xavi made sure to highlight Sergi Roberto’s great work for Barcelona since his return from injury. The veteran Spanish midfielder continues to prove people wrong and displays a level of consistency he has seldom shown in the past. His passes, movement, positioning, and footballing intelligence all helped Barcelona stay ahead of the curve.
Fermin Lopez: 7.5
Even in the absence of Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, and Gavi, Barcelona have found a new kind of animal. Fermin Lopez, through grit and technical brilliance, continues to dominate games for Barcelona in energetic fashion. Unwilling to let opponents have even a breath of relief, Lopez’s relentlessness gives Barcelona a much-needed bite.
Raphinha: 9.0
Easily the most impactful forward for Barcelona in the game, Raphinha was relentless. It was ultimately his game-winning goal that gave Barcelona all three points, but the chances he created and converted earlier were also there to showcase how resilient and unstoppable he was.
Robert Lewandowski: 7.0
While he did not manage to get on the scoresheet, Robert Lewandowski still had a solid outing. Some of the chances he got were converted but ruled out, and others were there to be scored but he was unable to. His movement and connection with his team allowed other forwards and players to take advantage of the space he created.
Lamine Yamal: 5.5
Without a doubt, this outing was one of Lamine Yamal’s tamest as a Barcelona player. Unable to work his magic, the other forwards around him were able to do much more effective damage to the opponents.
Substitutes:
Joao Felix: 7.5
His introduction gave Barcelona breath of fresh air. Mixing creativity with the technical ability to pull off atrocious moves, Felix was able to give Barcelona exactly what they were searching for with an exquisite assist to Raphinha for the game-winning goal.
Ferran Torres: 6.0
Finally back from injury, Ferran Torres was eager to get going. Gradually, he will find his best version again but even now he managed to come in and almost make an instant impact.
Oriol Romeu: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.
Vitor Roque: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.
