Lionel Messi’s penalty was enough for Barcelona to take the points from a hard-fought game against Real Valladolid at Camp Nou on Saturday night, but that was a rare bright spot in a largely poor performance.
Even Messi struggled to shine in this La Liga clash, having another penalty saved, and the three points from the 1-0 win were largely thanks to a strong defensively display – as revealed by our full player ratings.
BARCELONA (4-3-3)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen 6: Had little to do as Valladolid wasted their occasional chances with wayward finishing. Solid enough.
Sergi Roberto 6: Always a willing runner coming forward but was suspect defensively, with many attacks coming down his side.
Gerard Pique 9: Flawless in defence and found time to bound forward and win the penalty for the opener. In majestic form.
Thomas Vermaelen 8: Outstanding at the back alongside Pique, showing decisiveness and a sureness of touch in everything he did.
Jordi Alba 6: Much less effective than usual going forward as Barca toiled, but did a determined job at the back.
Arturo Vidal 6: Did good work defensively and tried to time runs forward into the box, but lacked quality on the ball.
Sergio Busquets 6: A so-so performance in midfield, failing to establish full control over the encounter as Barca struggled for rhythm.
Carles Alena 7: Continued his rapid development with another confident and mature display, a few loose touches notwithstanding.
Lionel Messi 5: Crunched home a perfect penalty in the first half but saw his second saved to typify a remarkably off the pace display.
Kevin-Prince Boateng 4: Had a low early shot saved and wasted another chance by delaying. Struggled to look the part in a Barca shirt.
Ousmane Dembele 7: Bright and lively on his first start for four weeks, playing his way back to fitness with some dangerous bursts.
30 - Lionel Messi has scored 30+ goals in each of his last 11 seasons for @FCBarcelona in all competitions. Extraterrestrial. pic.twitter.com/abyokCMS2V
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) February 16, 2019
SUBSTITUTES
Luis Suarez 4: Replaced Prince after an hour and somehow squandered three great chances, looking clumsy and off the pace.
Philippe Coutinho 6: Came on for Dembele with 20 minutes remaining and looked sharp, winning the second penalty with a dazzling run.
Ivan Rakitic N/A: Introduced for Alena for the last quarter of an hour and did a calm and unfussy job, without really shining.
VALLADOLID (3-4-1-2)
Jordi Masip 8: Former Barca keeper made a remarkable save from Messi just after the break and later saved his second penalty.
Joaquin Fernandez 7: Made an excellent early challenge on Dembele to prelude an alert and rigorous display on the right of the back three.
Kiko Olivas 7: Read the game brilliantly and broke up countless attacks with sharp anticipation, but fouled Coutinho for the second penalty.
Fernando Calero 7: Highly rated defender delivered another calm and composed display, keeping his cool despite Messi’s regular dribbles at him.
Antonito 6: Did well to block an early strike from Dembele and worked hard to cut out Alba’s threat, but rarely got forward.
Anuar Tuhami 6: Tried to link midfield with attack and was occasionally successful, but couldn’t find a killer ball to break open the defence.
Michel 7: Visiting skipper sat in front of the back four and did a diligent job but conceded the penalty for the only goal.
Nacho 6: Delivered some decent crosses but wasted a glorious counter-attacking chance with a poor cross just before the goal.
Daniele Verde 6: Bright and busy, showing good movement and unlucky to be substituted midway through the second half.
Enes Unal 5: Booked for an early aerial challenge on Busquets and offered little threat before being replaced 15 minutes from time.
Sergi Guardiola 6: The man with a famous namesake led Valladolid’s line well, showing skill on the ball, but lacked penetration.
Some snaps from the first half#pucela #BarçaRealValladolid pic.twitter.com/I5neWMjimR
— Real Valladolid CF EN (@realvalladolidE) February 16, 2019
SUBSTITUTES
Toni Villa 6: Only lasted a few minutes before his night ended in despair as he was forced off through injury.
Stiven Plaza N/A: Came on to make his debut in attack and looked strong and fast, but Pique and Vermaelen handled him well.
Keko N/A: Patrolled the right wing after being introduced and worked hard without offering much end product.
