Yamal 9.5, Raphinha 9.5 | FC Barcelona 5-2 Rayo Vallecano: Player ratings

FC Barcelona emerge victorious in the third game of their ongoing La Liga campaign to defend the league title. Despite Rayo Vallecano’s best attempts to complicate the match, Hansi Flick’s team ultimately pulled away.

A 5-2 demolition in front of the Spotify Camp Nou, Barça saw both Raphinha and Lamine Yamal score a brace with an own goal being scored by the opposition as well. Truly a great performance across the board, here are the player ratings for Barcelona.

Starting XI

Joan Garcia: 7.5/10

Unable to keep a clean sheet in this game, Joan Garcia continues to have a tough time keeping Rayo Vallecano out. However, he still made some good saves and his passing was reliable as always.

Jules Kounde: 6.5/10

Looked extremely lethargic at times and that ended up costing Barça as well. He needs to sharpen up as soon as possible to avoid those mistakes, but he also managed to find the back of the net even though the goal was ultimately ruled out due to offside.

Pau Cubarsi: 8.5/10

Made several crucial interventions, including a potentially goal-saving block in front of goal and a late tackle that stopped Rayo Vallecano from going through on goal. His passing was sublime as well.

Andreas Christensen: 7.0/10

Needs to be more alert during games and avoid giving away unnecessary advantages to the opposition. The second goal that Barça conceded was a direct consequence of the Dane conceding a corner that he should not have.

Xavi Espart: 8.0/10

Undoubtedly the sensation of the season so far for Barça, Xavi Espart has had no issues adjusting to life with the first team. His performances continue to be impressive, and he even managed to get an assist in this game.

Marc Bernal: 8.5/10

A classy performance from the young Spaniard, he dealt with the opposition quite well and won several duels across the match. He even managed to get an assist for Lamine Yamal’s goal.

Pedri: 8.0/10

Silky in the Barcelona midfield and completely had the game under control for most of the match on his own. His passing was sharp and he knew exactly how to open up spaces for his teammates thanks to his movements.

Lamine Yamal: 9.5/10

Finally playing at the level that is expected of him, Lamine Yamal was a joy to watch in this game. From his silky dribbling to his clever passes, the young winger also made sure to find the back of the net twice in this game and scored two sensational goals for the team.

Raphinha: 9.5/10

There is perhaps no better player in the world right now based on form. The Brazilian forward, despite playing out of position, has grabbed this opportunity to play as the team’s striker with both hands and has scored a brace yet again. Both goals showcased his best qualities, and he now leads the La Liga goalscoring charts.

Anthony Gordon: 8.5/10

Yet another brilliant performance from the English winger, he has established himself as the ideal player for Hansi Flick. Forced an own goal from the opposition, provided a splendid assist to Raphinha, and his general play throughout the game was great as well.

Substitutes:

Rodri: 7.5/10

Completely helped nullify the Rayo Vallecano structure and his presence in midfield gave Barcelona so much more composure and control over the game.

Fermin Lopez: 7.5/10

Great defensive work from the young Spaniard, who also managed to get in some very promising positions to create for his teammates and try to score himself as well.

Karim Adeyemi: 7.0/10

Eager to make an impact and his speed certainly looked promising. Managed to get the assist for Yamal’s second goal.

Joao Cancelo: 6.5/10

Decent cameo from the summer signing.

Hamza Abdelkarim: N/A

Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.