Barcelona faced off against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier tonight as they hoped to earn a positive result on the road in the UEFA Europa League. Barca made a decent start to the game and got their noses ahead in the 18th minute when Robert Lewandowski found the back of the net from the penalty spot. Xavi’s men protected their lead well and went into the half-time break 1-0 up on the scoreline.
Fred netted the equaliser for Man United in the 47th minute before Antony scored the winning goal for them in the 73rd minute. Barcelona ended up losing the contest by a 1-0 scoreline which knocked them out of the Europa League.
Let’s take a look at how each Barcelona player fared during the match against the Red Devils.
GK: Marc-André ter Stegen – 6/10
The German keeper made a few important saves at the back but still ended up conceding three goals tonight.
RB: Jules Kounde – 6.5/10
He was a dominant presence in the air and had some lively moments in the game.
CB: Ronald Araujo – 6/10
Araujo made a few crucial contributions on the defensive end of the field but won’t be happy after allowing three goals during his time on the field.
CB: Andreas Christensen – 6/10
He got stuck in with some crunching tackles and was tidy with his passing.
LB: Alejandro Balde – 7/10
Balde performed his defensive duties well and made some decent runs with the ball on the left flank.
CM: Franck Kessie – 6.5/10
He had a few bright moments in the Man United half but failed to offer adequate protection for his teammates at the back.
CM: Sergio Busquets – 7/10
Busquets anchored the midfield with conviction and made one good run with the ball.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – 8/10
De Jong did his fair share of defending and completed some encouraging dribbles in the Man United half.
RW: Raphinha – 6/10
He earned the ball back twice but was very quiet in the final third.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – 7/10
Lewandowski successfully converted his penalty in the 18th minute. He offered very little in the second 45 minutes.
LW: Sergi Roberto – 6.5/10
He orchestrated some decent chances in the opponent’s half but could last only 69 minutes.
Substitutes:
RW: Ferran Torres – 6/10
Torres offered very little after coming off the bench.
LW: Ansu Fati – 6/10
His influence on the game was minimal.
LB: Marcos Alonso – N/A
He hardly had any time to make an impact.
