Barca News Network
·22 December 2024
Barca News Network
·22 December 2024
An intense game saw Barcelona dominate proceedings but walk away empty-handed. Despite controlling the match from start to finish, Hansi Flick’s men were unable to secure the victory they so thoroughly deserved.
Pedri’s sensational performance stood out, showcasing his immense talent, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Barcelona conceded two unfortunate goals—both of which could have been avoided—and those moments proved decisive.
Now, Hansi Flick and his team must regroup and reflect on this setback. A period of introspection will be crucial to restoring confidence and getting back on track after such a frustrating result.
Here is how the Barcelona players faired.
Player Ratings:
Inaki Pena: 7.5
The Spanish goalkeeper was clearly doing everything he could to keep Atletico Madrid out and did well too. However, he was quite unlucky to concede the goals that he did end up conceding.
Jules Kounde: 7.5
Strong in his duels and much more active today, Jules Kounde had a strong first half where he dealt with anything that came his way and was always there to help out offensively as well.
Pau Cubarsi: 7.0
The young center-back was cool and collected for the entirety of the game. His passing was sublime, and he never seemed to get overwhelmed by the pressure that came his way from Atletico Madrid. Made a grave error at the end that led to the opposition grabbing a late winner.
Inigo Martinez: 7.5
His experience came through for him as he managed to limit Atletico Madrid to exactly zero efforts at the Barcelona goal during the first half. However, the Spaniard ended up being quite unlucky to concede the two goals that his side ended up having to deal with.
Alejandro Balde: 7.0
He was quite active during the game and was energetic from start to finish. Ran up and down the left flank consistently and never seemed to lose stamina no matter what happened on either end of the pitch.
Marc Casado: 6.0
Had a solid game where he showcased his intensity well and was constantly breathing down the necks of any Atletico Madrid player in possession. However, his one blunder ended up allowing the opponents to score against Barcelona and it resulted in him being substituted soon after.
Pedri: 9.5
What a first-half performance from Pedri, with the young Spaniard having completely dominated the game and the proceedings of the match. Beyond just his mesmerizing goal, the Barcelona midfielder was simply unplayable and looked to be completely in a state of flow where nobody could touch him. Sensational game, and he should have had at least a couple of assists as well.
Raphinha: 7.5
Energetic, but definitely needed to be more clinical in front of goal. Pedri put him through with some great passes but he was unable to finish those chances. However, his intensity never died down and he continued to create chances for his teammates and get into good positions.
Gavi: 8.0
Strong first half from the young Spaniard, who ended up assisting Pedri for the first goal. Moreover, his intensity was great for Barcelona as they managed to limit Atletico Madrid’s control on the game.
Fermin Lopez: 7.0
While he could have had a goal to his name when Jan Oblak saved his shot, Fermin Lopez delivered great intensity that helped out the team in creating better opportunities for other players.
Robert Lewandowski: 5.0
A slow start to the game for Robert Lewandowski, who was quite restricted in the first half. However, he did not help himself with some baggy touches and some lackluster decision-making as well. Horrible in finishing his chances as well.
Dani Olmo: 5.5
Sluggish and barely moving around for his teammates to become an option for them to pass to, this was a rather lethargic Dani Olmo performance.
Ferran Torres: 6.0
Provided the team with some energy, but could not do much else.