The final game before the March international break sees Barcelona take on Rayo Vallecano at the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday afternoon.
Fresh off a 7-2 victory over Newcastle, the Catalans entered the game strong but also tired, resulting in a cohesive but lethargic performance.
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Ronald Araujo gave his team the lead in the first half and Barcelona defended well to keep out Rayo Vallecano. However, as the game progressed, things changed a lot and the game became tense. Blaugrana.
But in the end, Barcelona still maintained its lead and took all three points.
Barcelona Globo brings you the player ratings of Barcelona 1-0 Rayo Vallecano.
Joan Garcia: 9
The goalkeeping was neatly distributed and there weren’t many saves on the night.
However, he became visibly unwell at one point during the fight, and while he did choose to fight, the situation raised concerns that it could worsen.
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Made a huge save in the second half to ward off the opponent’s attack and had another huge effort in the final minutes of the game.
Joao Cancelo: 8
The left-back performed well on both ends of the night, performing to the best of his abilities at the back while also acting as a transition point in the team’s attack.
The combination with Rafinha is good, both on the wing and in the central movement during the build-up phase. A lovely corner kick for Ronald Araujo, who set up the opening goal.
Gerald Martin: 7
The centre-back continued his strong partnership with Kubas, controlling the offside trap well and linking up well with his teammates to get out of tight situations.
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Reliable in possession, his ambitious vertical passes often find their intended target.
Paul Cubas: 7
As usual, Kubas is the more stable and reliable of the two centre-backs, and in addition to his defensive duties, he also plays a vital role in the construction of the team. No glaring mistakes were made in the afternoon.
Ronald Araujo: 9
Barcelona’s decisive goalscorer. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The skipper replaced Xavi Espat at right-back and performed well defensively, although he did understandably struggle to provide an attacking output.
He proved how much of a threat he is in the air when he opened the scoring for Barcelona in the first half with a brilliant header that gave Barcelona the lead.
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Mark Bernal: 7.5
Bernal put in a routine performance in midfield, nothing special beyond the basics he mastered.
His distribution and combination sequences are solid, and while he does miss a few passes, he often looks to run into the front half to better advance the attack.
Pedri: 8.5
Pedri was given the start despite a strong performance in midweek and showed no too many signs of fatigue. He performed in the middle of the park with deceptive fakes and accurate passes.
Fermín Lopez: 8.5
Fermin worked very hard against Rayo Vallecano. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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Lopez was once again a regular for Barcelona as he seemed to be on the pitch the entire time he was on the pitch.
He plays a vital role in the attack, making runs in behind defenders, but he is also energetic and tireless in off-the-ball presses, often running all the way back to Joan Garcia’s goal to complete recoveries.
Ramin Yamar: 8
Yamal’s dribbling was relatively quiet in the first half, but his passes over the top and around defenders were spot-on. He probably had two assists in the first half alone.
Improved after the break, with some runs and direct shots, but no goals on the afternoon.
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Raphinha: 6.5
Rafinha performed well against Rayo Vallecano, making several pass errors and even wasting a 1v1 opportunity. His work rate is good but he lacks decisive finishing ability.
Didn’t make much progress after the break and failed to maintain the scoring form of the previous two games.
Robert Lewandowski: 6.5
Lewandowski made a good switch for Barcelona, and although he didn’t get into too many goal-scoring positions, he often dropped into midfield and looked to start transition attacks with ambitious forward passes.
His involvement in link-up attacks has heightened Barcelona’s danger, sometimes leaving opposition defenses scrambling for the right positions.
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Ferran Torres: 6.5
He replaced Lewandowski in the second half and played the full 45 minutes against Rayo Vallecano. Although he didn’t create any clear scoring opportunities, he was very comfortable in organizing attacks and pressing to a certain extent.