Real Betis 1-4 Barcelona: Player ratings as Lionel Messi steals the show and gets a 10

Andy West 10:26 18/03/2019
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  • Lionel Messi

    Lionel Messi stole the headlines once again with another superlative hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Real Betis 4-1 on Sunday night.

    You can already guess Messi’s rating, but there were also 27 other players involved in the game and you can find out how they all fared here.

    REAL BETIS 3-1-4-2

    Betis boss Quique Setien

    Betis boss Quique Setien

    Lopez 6. Made a couple of decent saves to deny Suarez and had no chance with any of Barca’s goals.

    Mandi 4. Had a tough task covering Alba’s surges forward and was out of position for the second and third goals.

    Bartra 4. Was given a real runaround by Suarez and didn’t look comfortable all night against his former team.

    Sidnei 5. The most solid of Betis’s back three, although that’s not saying much. Wayward use of the ball.

    Joaquin 5. Kept very quiet in the first half, struggling to get anything out of Alba. Slightly better after the break but replaced.

    Guardado 7. Drove his team forward from midfield and also worked hard defensively, moving into a deeper role later on.

    Carvalho 6. Did lots of good work with the ball, knitting play together, but didn’t offer anywhere near enough defensively.

    Canales 6. Nearly scored with a diving header in the first half and was always busy, but ended up a frustrated figure.

    Tello 7. Betis’s biggest threat with his pace and penetration down the left, sending over a series of dangerous crosses.

    Guardado

    Guardado

    Lo Celso 5. In stark contrast to his excellent display at the Camp Nou in November, he was almost anonymous this time.

    Jese 5. Maybe should have done better with one chance in the first half, and fizzed another low effort wide across goal.

    SUBSTITUTES 

    Emerson 5. The future Barca player – currently on loan at Betis – wasn’t able to make much of an impact in the right wing-back role.

    Lainez 6. The teenage midfielder was busy after he came on, always being positive and teeing up the goal for Loren.

    Loren 7. Led the line well and took his goal superbly, curling a shot into the top corner. Perhaps should be starting.

    BARCELONA 4-4-2

    Ernesto Valverde

    Ernesto Valverde

    Ter Stegen 6. Had little to do other than deal with a few crosses, but his distribution was excellent. No chance with the goal.

    Roberto 6. Started at right-back and struggled against Tello, but moved into midfield and looked more comfortable.

    Pique 8. Outstanding in the first half when Betis were on top, dealing confidently with everything that came his way.

    Lenglet 8. Another smooth and flawless performance, making a mockery of his failure to be called up by France.

    Alba 8. Made a crucial block to keep out Canales’s header, and a tireless runner going forward on the counter-attack.

    Rakitic 6. Sensible and solid in midfield, helping out Roberto against the threat of Tello and linking play going forward.

    Busquets 7. Recovered from a sloppy start to perform a tidy job in front of the back four, keeping things safe and secure.

    Arthur 7. Won the free-kick for the opener at one end and made a crucial goalmouth clearance at the other in a busy display.

    Vidal 7. Played well in an advanced midfield position, linking with the front two and throwing himself into challenges.

    Messi 10. Scored a brilliant free-kick and a sharply taken second, before bringing the house down with a glorious third.

    Suarez 8. Missed a few chances but made amends with a sumptuous assist for Messi’s second and a superb solo strike.

    SUBSTITUTES

    Semedo 6. Made several dangerous surges forward but was caught out of position in the build-up to Betis’s goal.

    Coutinho 6. Came on for the last few minutes, replacing the injured Suarez, and had a few nice touches.

    Alena 6. A late substitute and did a steady job in midfield, keeping the ball circulating as Barca cruised home.

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