Barcelona played host to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, having already won their group prior to kickoff. As expected, the Catalans made a whole host of changes for this game, which gave some of their squad players a chance to shine.
With a crucial La Liga clash against Villarreal looming on the horizon, Ernesto Valverde decided to name Lionel Messi on the bench. The Spanish manager once again opted for a 4-3-3 formation and began the game with only one of their superstar attackers on the pitch in the form of Luis Suarez. However, all of the changes in the starting eleven resulted in a drab first half where both teams failed to score an opening goal.
The Catalans were more productive in the second half after raising their game which ultimately helped them beat their Portuguese opponents through a goal from Paco Alcacer and an injury-time own goal from Jeremy Mathieu. The victory made sure that the Catalans ran out as comfortable winners of their group, which might hopefully get them a favourable draw for the knockout stages.
Let’s shed some light on how each Barcelona player fared on the night.
GK: Jasper Cillessen – 7/10
The goalkeeper had a bland first half but made an unbelievable reaction save when Bas Dost was through on goal in the second half which kept their 1-0 lead intact.
RB: Cabral Semedo – 6/10
The Portuguese right-back did the little things right when called into action but had a fairly uneventful game.
CB: Gerard Pique – 6/10
The Spaniard looked vulnerable occasionally. However, did his bit to help his team hang onto the lead.
CB: Thomas Vermaelen – 6/10
The former Arsenal player looks a shadow of his former self. The Belgian centre-back had a rather easy game considering how disjointed the Sporting Lisbon attack was on the night.
LB: Lucas Digne – 7/10
The French left-back had a good game and put in a nice shift for his team. Whether the Barcelona manager uses him more often in the near future remains to be seen.
CM: Denis Suarez – 6/10
The midfielder also had a monotonous game and did little to have an impact in the match.
CM: Ivan Rakitic – 8/10
The Croatian was one of the best players on the field. He looked composed on the ball and played the right passes all night.
CM: Andre Gomes – 7/10
The Portuguese midfielder put in a strong performance in the midfield and did well to help his side get the result.
RS: Aleix Vidal – 5/10
The Spanish winger didn’t have the best of games and struggled to create anything meaningful for the Catalans going forward.
ST: Luis Suarez – 6/10
The Uruguayan has struggled with his form this season and it showed at times during the match. He missed a glorious chance in the first half but still came back to put in a tireless shift for his team.
LS: Paco Alcacer – 8/10
The youngster made the difference on the night when he scored the opener with a fine header. He probably deserves to be awarded the man of the match for his game-changing opening goal.
Substitutes
CM: Sergio Busquets – N/A
The midfield veteran came on too late to make an impact.
CM: Paulinho – N/A
He did too little to be rated.
RM: Lionel Messi – 8/10
The Argentine maestro was excellent when he came on in the second half. He brought the game alive and created a lot of chances for the Catalans.
