Barcelona secured a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Copenhagen at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
Joan Garcia – 6
It came out and cut off some attacks very well. It’s hard to exclude offside from your considerations. He made a great save on an offside move but was also cleared for offside – he was trying to receive the ball, making him directly responsible for the goal that didn’t go in.
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Jules Comte – 4.5
A relative unknown in attack, it was a loose pass from Kounde that led to Copenhagen’s goal and once again put his side in trouble. Another performance that didn’t challenge his critics.
Paul Cubas – 5
The goal wasn’t particularly clever either – Victor Dadasson got away from him quickly but he had time to realize there wasn’t enough pressure on the ball to control his goal line. He continued to appear troubled for the rest of the game.
Gerald Martin – 5.5
A couple of good tackles and interceptions drove Copenhagen’s attack forward, but he also didn’t stop Copenhagen from targeting him with their pacey forwards.
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Alejandro Balde – 6.5
The team’s offense was largely uninspiring when Barcelona could have threatened from the bottom line. However, he did make a couple of nice runs inside and found Lamine Yamal open for his second goal.
Eric Garcia – 6
He didn’t look particularly sharp in the middle of the field compared to most of his season. Unfortunately he didn’t get a great shot off the underside of the crossbar, but his shot was not missed at half-time.
Dani Olmo – 7
Dani Olmo isn’t great in a deeper role – indeed, he’s more comfortable in the No. 10 position. As has been the norm of late, though, Olmo was decisive and unleashed Lamine Yamal’s equalizer, a pass that changed the game.
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Ramin Yamar – 8
It wasn’t his best performance either, but if you look through the entire game, you’ll see that Lamine Yamar was at the heart of Barcelona’s dangerous moments. His runs and assists were crucial in the opener, his finishing was lucky in the second half and he was the only real source of invention in the first half.
Fermín Lopez – 6.5
Although his defensive work and tenacity are desperately needed in Barcelona’s midfield, his performances have been underwhelming.
Raphinha – 6.5
Another guy who works hard to express himself in the game. There was an obvious gap in the first quarter, but he killed it himself by cutting inside. His free throw shooting is good, but like Lopez, his best quality is his attitude.
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Robert Lewandowski – 7
Image via Sports/Dani Barbeto
What a strange show. A golden opportunity was missed early on that would have made Barcelona much more comfortable, but his role in the comeback was undeniable. He also won a penalty in the equalizer to seal the tie. But there’s no doubt that this Lewandowski doesn’t look as lethal or as comfortable as last year.
Substitute
Mark Bernal – 7
Aside from a few giveaways, Bernal’s performance in midfield was relatively smooth. No standup, but does add more mobility than Garcia.
Marcus Rashford – 7.5
The appearance gave Barcelona’s attack some purpose. A brilliant free-kick scored and on another smashed the woodwork.
Ronald Araujo – 6.5
Araujo has nothing to report, coming into the game with a two-goal advantage and a simple set of tasks to do.
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Mark Casado – 6.5
The last ten minutes were nothing noteworthy.
Ferran Torres – 6.5
You could tell he was hungry for a goal towards the end of the game but his shot went wide from the edge of the area.
