Torre 9.5, Lewandowski 9.0 | Villarreal 1-5 Barcelona: Player ratings | OneFootball

A strong display from a heavily depleted Barcelona team resulted in a 5-1 victory over Villarreal. With their opponents being unbeaten prior to this game in La Liga and also playing at home at the La Ceramica, a lot of pressure was on Hansi Flick’s team. However, Barcelona managed to pass the test with flying colors.

With two early goals from Robert Lewandowski, another brace from Barcelona captain Raphinha, and a goal from Pablo Torre as well, the Catalan giants managed to prevail away from home and get all three points for themselves. Even apart from the goalscorers, however, there were other notable performers.

Here are the player ratings for the Barcelona players.

Player Ratings:

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 6.5

Despite a promising game up until the half-time mark, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was injured in the first half and it seems like it could be a long-term injury for the player.

Jules Kounde: 7.0

Much better from Jules Kounde going forward in this game, and he also stayed aware of his defensive duties. Unfortunately, some cracks have started to show when it comes to the Frenchman’s weakness in a high-line as he is unable to keep up in terms of speed if an attacker manages to bypass him.

Sergi Dominguez: 6.5

Did seem out of place at times alongside his other defenders at times, but got into the game early enough. Ultimately ended up being one of the first changes in the game however despite his strong distribution.

Inigo Martinez: 7.0

Solid defending from Inigo Martinez but he was lucky to get away with a few close calls. Apart from that, his distribution was reliable and he completed a lot of passes for his team from the start until the point he was substituted.

Gerard Martin: 7.0

Solid enough defensively and was much more aware of his teammates today. Was solid in possession and was also attentive to his defensive duties whenever he was isolated as well.

Eric Garcia: 6.5

Did not get an early red card this time, and that was a good initial sign in itself. Beyond that, he kept his composure when it came to simple passes and did his job dutifully.

Pedri: 7.5

Alongside Pablo Torre, Pedri was the player who orchestrated most of the promising play that Barcelona managed to generate through their central channels. Beyond just that, however, the young Barcelona midfielder also made sure to circulate possession as much as possible to keep Villarreal on their toes and open up more space between their lines.

Lamine Yamal: 8.0

Not his most impactful night, but Lamine Yamal was still a constant nuisance for Villarreal to deal with. His dangerous crossing ended up coming in clutch for Hansi Flick’s team yet again as it allowed Robert Lewandowski to grab his second. However, he did end up getting yet another beautiful assist to his name through a sensational trivela pass to Raphinha.

Pablo Torre: 9.5

A sensational performance from Pablo Torre shows exactly why there is a good problem for Hansi Flick to deal with at Barcelona. Yet another attacking midfielder who showed that there is life beyond just the likes of Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Fermin Lopez, Torre ended up getting a brilliant assist to his name and a slightly fortunate goal as well. Elite performance from the young midfielder that was more than just the goal contributions.

Raphinha: 9.0

After a game where he battled long and hard to help out his teammates, Raphinha was rewarded later on with two goals of his own that came as a result of his diligent workrate and his celebration was enough to tell everyone just how much it meant to the Barcelona captain who took over following Ter Stegen’s untimely injury. Great performance from the Brazilian forward.

Robert Lewandowski: 9.0

Could have had the perfect performance if he had managed to convert his penalty and get his hattrick while giving Barcelona the ideal advantage. Regardless, the Polish ace managed to add two goals to his tally and continues to give himself a good lead in the Pichichi race. His hold-up play was also commendable.

Substitutes:

Inaki Pena: 6.0

Did a good enough job to replace the injured Ter Stegen in this game but did look shaky at times.

Pau Cubarsi: 6.0

Allowed Barcelona to breathe much more freely in the game and his presence certainly let his teammates play with a certain ease about their game.

Marc Casado: 7.0

Constantly running and recovering the ball, Marc Casado’s impact on the match was instant and it allowed Barcelona to settle in a lot more.

Pau Victor: 7.5

A strong cameo from Pau Victor saw great use of his physicality and workrate, and he even managed to get an assist.

Not enough time or influence on the game to warrant a rating.