Atletico Madrid’s dream of lifting another La Liga title was cut short at Camp Nou this weekend as Lionel Messi’s brilliance was enough for Barcelona to take all three points from their clash against Los Indios on Sunday. Diego Simeone’s men were their usual selves, trying to play a physically challenging game but Argentine maestro Lionel Messi came up with a free kick, that was all that separated both teams on the night.
Atleti failed to create enough chances to take anything from this game as Barcelona increased their lead over their rivals to eight points. Here are the player ratings for Ernesto Valverde’s men in this tie:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6):
Had a couple of routine saves to make but was quick to grab crosses, helping himself to a deserved clean sheet.
Sergi Roberto (7):
Was ready to take on the Atleti midfield and also kept their attack away from danger, as he dominated his flank all night.
Gerard Pique (8):
Won the battle against Diego Costa, frustrating every Atleti attacker, helping his side to yet another victory.
Samuel Umtiti (6):
Struggled against Costa at times but did enough to keep the ball away from goal.
Jordi Alba (8):
A constant presence at both ends of the field as he added mettle to the backline and numbers to attack, to irritate the visitors.
Sergio Busquets (6):
Not his usual self as he lost the ball far too many times but was spot on with his tackling, winning the ball back quickly and keeping his side on the front foot.
Ivan Rakitic (8):
Played in a deeper role to great effect, controlling the tempo of the game and dropping deep to help out in defence.
Andres Iniesta (7):
The brightest Barcelona player till he picked up an unfortunate injury in the first half.
Philippe Coutinho (7):
Showed confidence with the ball at his feet but lacks the final ball, that could have broken Atleti down on a number of occasions.
Lionel Messi (9):
Ran the show on the night, constantly dribbling past players and creating half chances. Came close on a couple of occasions after giving his side the lead with a sublime free kick in the first half.
Luis Suarez (7):
Struggled to get into the game in the first half but slowly added some mettle to the attack, late in the game that helped Barca see off the visitors.
Substitutes:
Andre Gomes (7):
Replaced Iniesta in the first half and did well to get stuck in the midfield and trouble Atletico Madrid all night.
Paulinho (N/A)
