It was a frustrating night for the Spanish giants as they were kept at bay by Olympiakos that resulted in the match ending goalless. Barcelona seemed to lack the cutting edge in the final third of the pitch when given the slightest glimmer of a chance. Take nothing away from the Olympiakos players who gave it their all and frustrated Barcelona all night. We take a look at the player ratings of Barcelona.
Marc-André ter Stegen (6):
Was called upon only once in the first half to keep out a relatively straightforward save. His distribution was below par today.
Nélson Semedo (6):
Apart from a forward burst after an exchange with Sergi Roberto in the opening minutes of the game didn’t have much to do. Stuck to his defensive duties well.
Javier Mascherano (6):
Defended relatively well when hit on the counter by Olympiakos. Could have been a lot quicker in distributing balls and increased the tempo that was much required.
Samuel Umtiti (5.5):
A disappointing night for the Frenchman personally. Made a number of errors defensively and could have easily gifted a goal to the hosts because of a miscommunication with his goalkeeper. Lacked composure on the ball when he was put under pressure by the Olympiakos front line.
Jordi Alba (6):
Another night where his crossing was just not up to the mark. Found acres of space on the left flank, but his crossing let him down on the night. Defensively, the Spaniard was solid.
Sergi Roberto (5.5):
Had very little influence on the game. His night ended with picking up an injury just before halftime.
Sergio Busquets (7):
A much-improved performance from the weekend. Ensured that the ball was moved swiftly and broke up play on numerous occasions to prevent the counter-attack.
Paulinho (6):
Again, another player who had very little influence on the game. Deployed as a centre midfielder, he did very little to find the front runners of Suarez and Messi.
Denis Suárez (6):
Tried his best to make a difference on a night when everything looked stagnant.
Luis Suárez (5.5):
Another frustrating day at the office for the talisman. Had two vital opportunities to find the net, but just could not convert. The Olympiacos defenders did well to prevent the Uruguayan a clean sight at goal.
Lionel Messi (8):
The only bright star in an otherwise dull performance from Barcelona. Although not his fluent best, he did all he could to break the deadlock. Some of his defence-splitting passes were a treat to watch. Created a brilliant opportunity for Suárez that the Uruguayan could not capitalise on. He was kept out well by the Olympiacos goalkeeper Proto.
Subs:
Gerard Deulofeu (5.5):
Wasted a number of opportunities to try an tee up a teammate when he found acres of space down the flanks. Should be doing better.
Ivan Rakitić (6):
Could not quite influence the game upon his induction.
André Gomes (6):
Again had no effect on the game being introduced in the 75th minute.
