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| Sevilla 0-2 Barça – Player Ratings |
Barça are on the verge of registering their first official trophy of the 2016/2017 after beating Sevilla 2-0 in the first leg of their Spanish Super Cup tie on Sunday.
Luis Suarez and Munir El Haddadi got the goals to put the Catalan giants in a comfortable position heading into the second leg which will take place at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Barça put up a very good performance in a difficult ground against a very difficult team to beat. All players gave their all and that led to the win. BarcaLens rate the Barcelona players according to how they performed in the club’s first official game of the new season.
SEVILLA 0-2 FC BARCELONA PLAYER RATINGS
CLAUDIO BRAVO – 6.5
The goalkeeper started in goal as Ter Stegen was out injured. Didn’t have much to do but was good when called upon. Kept his composure throughout the game and was precise with his passing. Got the clean sheet.
SERGI ROBERTO – 7.0
Sergi showed confidence at right back and showed class when going forward. However, he struggled defensively. Could’ve gotten a goal in the second half but was denied by Sergio Rico.
GERARD PIQUE – 7.0
Pique led well in defence as always. Wasn’t troubled as much as his partner but was solid defensively. His delivery was great and he brought confidence to the back line.
JAVIER MASCHERANO – 7.0
Worked a lot. He didn’t rest throughout the game and did the most defensive works among the four defenders. His concentration was great also and he showed why Barça made the right choice to renew his contract.
JEREMY MATHIEU – 5.0
Didn’t do much and was brought off on 25 minutes for Lucas Digne after picking up a hamstring injury. Will undergo further tests.
IVAN RAKITIC – 7.5
The Croatian provided the midfield with strength and also added a bit of creativity. He did well in defence too covering well for Sergi Roberto on the right. Overall, he had a very good game and was Barça’s best midfielder of the night.
SERGIO BUSQUETS – 6.5
Clearly lacked match freshness. Lost possessions on numerous occasions but still didn’t have a bad game overall.
ANDRES INIESTA – 5.5
Collided with a Sevilla defender in the first half and was subbed off for Denis Suarez after picking up an injury to his knee. Did a little during his time on the pitch but major concern is the length of his injury.
LIONEL MESSI – 8.0
Man of the Match despite not being at his best. When Barça players looked rusty in the first half he was the only one that played sharp. Caused problems for Sevilla on numerous occasions despite being surrounded by multiples players each time he has the ball. Provided the assist for Munir.
LUIS SUAREZ – 7.5
Looked eager to get his first goal in the Super Cup. Missed a great chance to make it 1-0 on 6 minutes but finished superbly in the second half to give Barça the lead. A good game.
ARDA TURAN – 7.0
Looked like he’s much better on the wing than in central midfield. Although he looked a bit rusty in the first half, he sprung up to life and delivered a good performance. His beautiful chest assist set up Luis Suarez for the first goal. Came off for Munir in the second half.
SUBSTITUTES…
LUCAS DIGNE – 7.5
Came on for Jeremy Mathieu and did superbly at left back. He delighted the fans with his hard work in defence and his prowess in attack. Looks like he’ll give Jordi Alba a run for his money in the race for starter spot.
DENIS SUAREZ – 7.5
Was a gem! Replaced Andres Iniesta in the first half and got everything right from his first touch. His passing was great and his confidence was unreal. His beautifully lobbed ball led to Suarez goal.
MUNIR EL HADDADI – 7.0
Came on for Arda Turan for the final 15 minutes and killed the game off. He capitalized on a Messi pass to side-foot Barça into a 2-0 lead, the final goal of the game.