Livescore
A sensational Barcelona returns from the international break with yet another dominant score. This time around, Hansi Flick’s side absolutely dismantles Garcia Pimienta’s Sevilla at the Montjuic Stadium. With this crucial win, Barcelona regain their three-point cushion at the top of the table.
A 5-1 thrashing was what fans got to see at the Montjuic Stadium along with the much-awaited return of Gavi. Two goals each from Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre as well as one goal from Pedri were enough to give Barcelona all the points that they needed from this game.
Here are the player ratings for the Barcelona players.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 6.5
Did not have much to do thanks to the great defensive work of the Barcelona players in front of him, but Inaki Pena did well to come off his line and wrap up any dangerous looking Sevilla chances. Could not have done much about the goal that he ended up conceding.
Jules Kounde: 7.0
Alongside the rest of his teammates in defense, Jules Kounde was strong in his challenges and his positioning. However, his offensive contributions were not as convincing or prominent for most of the game.
Pau Cubarsi: 7.5
Alongside Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi was exceptional in playing the offside trap to catch Sevilla off-guard. Moreover, his tackles and distribution were both top-notch as well in the game.
Inigo Martinez: 8.0
Always solid and always ready to compete for every ball, Inigo Martinez was a wall that Sevilla was constantly struggling against. His distribution was also commendable and enabled Barcelona to open up a lot of promising spaces. Once again, his involvement in the team’s offside traps remains spectacular.
Alejandro Balde: 6.0
Did his best from a defensive point of view and held his own against Sevilla’s attackers, but his offensive contributions were less noteworthy. Needs to work on his crossing to make it more consistent than it current is to be a more frequent asset in attack for Barcelona.
Marc Casado: 8.5
In many ways, Marc Casado was the backbone that enabled this Barcelona team to perform as functionally as they did. Constant interceptions and recoveries from the young Spaniard allowed his team to always remain one step ahead of Sevilla in the game.
Pedri: 9.0
A sensational performance from Pedri enabled Barcelona to exploit Sevilla’s gaps from start to finish. His control over the game was already magnificent on its own, but his brilliant goal only added to the amazing performance he was enjoying.
Lamine Yamal: 8.0
Constantly kept making Sevilla sweat and struggle whenever he had the ball, Lamine Yamal was a threat on the right wing. While he did not manage to score himself, his setup for Pedri’s goal was also brilliant.
Raphinha: 8.5
The engine of the Barcelona attack, Raphinha made sure to constantly keep making the Sevilla defense uncomfortable while also running back to help out his own defense from time to time. Also managed to get an assist for Robert Lewandowski’s second goal, while also winning the penalty that gave the Pole his first goal.
Ansu Fati: 5.0
Unable to provide the same kind of workrate as the rest of the forwards around him and was equally frustrating to watch at times when he did have the ball at his feet. Even his fleeting glimpses of magic continue to fail him it seems these days.
Robert Lewandowski: 9.0
Yet another brace to his name, Robert Lewandowski remains clinical and in the form of his life. Leading the Pichichi charge with a comfortable gap now, the Polish ace remains the spearhead of this Barcelona team and has also greatly improved his link-up play with his teammates.
Substitutes:
Fermin Lopez: 6.5
Looked sharp and always seemed ready to put pressure on Sevilla.
Pau Victor: 6.0
Decent cameo from the forward.
Pablo Torre: 8.5
Two goals that gave Barcelona the perfect ending they would have wanted, scored a direct free-kick that was rather fortunate but his boldness to try gave him both of the goals at the end of the night.
Gerard Martin: N/A
Not enough of an involvement in the game to warrant a rating.
Gavi: 7.0
Back at last and what a cameo. His tenacity remains as vibrant as ever and his technical ability is there for all to see. What a way to mark his return, and that too with the captain armband.
Read the full article here
