FC Barcelona managed to take care of Deportivo Alaves in convincing fashion in their latest win. Hansi Flick decided not to make too many rotations this time, and it paid off rather well for the Catalan giants. With this crucial victory before the international break, Barcelona now have a three-point lead at the top of the table yet again.
A convincing 3-0 victory, and all three goals came from Barcelona ace Robert Lewandowski. With a hattrick finally in the bag after a good long wait, the Polish striker will be over the moon with his recent man-of-the-match performance.
Here are the player ratings for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 6.0
Looked quite shaky at times and definitely was not as collected as Barcelona would have wanted him to be when he had the ball coming towards his feet. With Wojciech Szczesny set to join up after the international break, this may not have been the ideal display.
Hector Fort: 7.5
Quick to react to any and all threats that Deportivo Alaves could think up of, and had an overall solid game. Was quick to progress the ball as well when he was supposed to.
Pau Cubarsi: 7.0
Just like Inigo Martinez alongside him, Pau Cubarsi was rock solid against Alaves. Moreover, his positioning when it came to playing Barça’s indirectly effective offside trap was commendable and worked wonders for Hansi Flick’s team in this victory.
Inigo Martinez: 7.0
A true leader at the back for Barcelona, and he was quite impressive in the way that he dealt with the Alaves attackers. Solid display from the veteran Spanish defender.
Alejandro Balde: 7.5
Much more exciting from Alejandro Balde as he constantly traversed up and down the flank. His option out wide was always a welcome one and he really seemed to be enjoying himself against Alaves.
Marc Casado: 8.5
A strong leader in the midfield, Marc Casado orchestrated and helped organize his team’s structure repeatedly. Moreover, he made some crucial tackles and was also sensational when it came to receiving the ball in the heart of the midfield despite constantly being under pressure and then with his distribution as well.
Pedri: 7.5
Definitely not his best game, but one in which he was influential nonetheless. His passing was crucial in unlocking some of the most promising Barcelona attacks and his distribution helped the team retain possession in crucial stages of the game.
Lamine Yamal: 6.5
A rather quiet performance for Lamine Yamal, but it was a game in which he did not need to be at his exhilarating best for Barcelona to win in a convincing way. With Alaves tightly marking him, the young winger did not get enough of an opportunity on the ball to get to show off his qualities either.
Raphinha: 9.0
From the first minute, Raphinha was running as much as he could and created some of the most promising chances for Barcelona. He ended with two early assists in the first half that helped Robert Lewandowski get close to his hattrick. Great performance from the Brazilian forward.
Ferran Torres: N/A
Injured quite early on in the game, and did not get enough of a chance to have an impact.
Robert Lewandowski: 10
A hattrick at long last, Robert Lewandowski got his three goals even before the first half ended. With these goals now added to his tally as well, the Polish ace makes it 10 goals in 9 La Liga outings, an exceptional feat.
Substitutes:
Eric Garcia: 6.5
Solid in possession and did not make any dangerous mistakes this time around. Good outing for the Spaniard.
Ansu Fati: 6.0
Had some moments of excitement but still lacks some match sharpness when it comes to his decision-making and output.
Jules Kounde: 6.5
Solid at the back and gave Barcelona an extra bit of security.
Frenkie de Jong: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.
Gerard Martin: N/A
Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.
