Barcelona travelled to the Spanish capital to clash heads with Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium earlier tonight hoping to pick up maximum points on the road. The Catalans enjoyed more of the ball but couldn’t capitalise on the goal-scoring opportunities they created in the first half.
Ernesto Valverde’s men came out with more purpose after the half-time break but struggled to breakdown Atletico’s defence. However, Lionel Messi was once again Barca’s saviour as he scored in the 86th minute to make the difference on the night. The Catalan outfit managed to grind out a 1-0 victory and returned home from Madrid with all three points in the bag.
Let’s take a look at how each Barca player performed during the match against Atletico Madrid.
GK: Marc Andre ter Stegen – 8/10
The German custodian made a couple of incredible stops to deny the Atletico attackers from scoring a goal. He would be happy after earning a hard-fought clean sheet tonight.
RB: Sergi Roberto – 7.5/10
The Spaniard made a vital goal-line clearance and was also a decent outlet down the right flank. He interchanged passes quite effectively with Messi in the opposition half.
CB: Clement Lenglet – 7/10
He defended valiantly and did well to cope with Joao Felix’s threat during the game. Lenglet has a well-deserved shut-out to show for his efforts.
CB: Gerard Pique – 7/10
The Spanish defensive ace was unfortunate to have hit the bar with his header. However, he was later fortunate not to have gotten a second yellow from the referee. He also made a couple of crucial interceptions tonight.
LB: Junior Firpo – 6/10
He struggled to get into the game in the first half. However, Firpo put in a much-improved in the second 45.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – 6/10
The ex-Ajax midfield ace made a slow start to the contest but recovered well to put in fine display after the half-time break.
CM: Ivan Rakitic – 7/10
The Croatia international put in a solid shift while operating as the anchorman in midfield and managed to provide adequate cover for the Barca backline.
CM: Arthur Melo – 7/10
The Brazilian playmaker passed the ball accurately in the opposition half and helped maintain Barca’s dominance at the centre of the park.
RM: Lionel Messi – 9/10
Messi is a favourite to win the Ballon d’Or soon, and he once again proved why he is still the best player in the world. The Argentine magician took his goal well in the 86th minute, which was enough to make the difference in the contest.
ST: Luis Suarez – 7.5/10
The Uruguay international was unlucky not to have found the back of the net tonight. However, he was responsible for setting up Messi who managed to score the winner.
LM: Antoine Griezmann – 6/10
The French winger wanted to score against his former club, but he ended up squandering a few decent opportunities during the game.
Substitutes:
CM: Arturo Vidal – 5/10
The veteran midfielder came on for the final 20 minutes but struggled to influence the game during his time on the field.
CB: Samuel Umtiti – 6/10
He came on for the injured, Pique and managed to see out the victory by making an excellent clearance.
