Lionel Messi was far from his best while Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jordi Alba stood out as Barcelona were held to a goalless draw by Sevilla.
It was a match in which chances came few and far between, with Sevilla testing Marc-Andre ter Stegen on four occasions. On the opposite end, Barcelona’s best chances in the game came from a couple of Lionel Messi free-kicks, neither of which was converted for his 700th career goal.
Former Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic spurned a great chance from inside the box while Sergio Reguilon had an opportunity late on to seal all three points for the hosts. In the end, the match ended goalless and Barcelona now run the risk of dropping down to second if Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad on Sunday. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Quique Setien’s men.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 8/10
True to nature, ter Stegen rose to the occasion in a difficult game for Barcelona. The German shot stopper was equal to whatever Sevilla managed to throw at him, making four saves in the game, the ones from Lucas Ocampos and former Barcelona man Munir El Haddadi standing out.
? — Ter Stegen has 4 clean sheets in his last 4 games for Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/4MAC6UGVwO
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 19, 2020
His passing rate was an average 77 percent going by the high standards that he has set, but he was still vital in alleviating some pressure with 6 completed long balls.
Nelson Semedo: 7/10
Back into the side thanks to Sergi Roberto’s absence, Semedo grabbed his opportunity with both hands and was one of the better players for Barcelona on the night. In the first half, the Portuguese full-back was hugely influential and was a constant outlet down the right flank and completed 95 percent of his passes. Solid off the ball, he won each of his duels (8/8) and completed 3 tackles.
Gerard Pique: 7/10
A decent effort from Pique, who was overwhelmed by the pace of the Sevilla attack at times but kept a check on Luuk de Jong for the most part on the night. Solid in the air, the veteran Barcelona star won 4 aerial duels. On the ball, he was precise and accurate, misplacing just 3 of his 77 attempted passes.
Clement Lenglet: 7/10
The former Sevilla defender might have the same rating as Pique, but he needed the help of his partner at the heart of the Barcelona defence quite a few times. Was still pretty crucial in helping ter Stegen keep a clean sheet, clearing the ball 5 times while winning a couple of duels. Completed 79/85 passes on the night, which helped Barcelona in their build-up play.
Jordi Alba: 8/10
Back into the side after serving a suspension on the weekend, Alba was, by far, the best outfield player for Barcelona against Sevilla. A constant threat down the left flank, Alba majorly camped in the opposition half on Friday, providing a couple of key passes and created one big chance for Luis Suarez, which was not converted.
Alba was also crucial in the defensive phase of the game, though, making a couple of clearances and 3 interceptions in addition to a vital block in the latter stages of the game.
Arturo Vidal: 6/10
This was a match in which Vidal took up positions around the right byline, enabling Lionel Messi to drift into a lot of space. However, that meant that the Chilean midfielder did not quite have the cutting edge in the final third, although he did complete 2 long balls. Did work his socks off when without the ball.
Sergio Busquets: 6/10
Busquets had a hit and miss game, largely due to fatigue. The piling minutes are clearly starting to show their effect. Nevertheless, the experienced Barcelona defender gave it his all and had 105 touches on the ball while completing 92 percent of the passes he attempted and winning 9 duels. With Frenkie de Jong out, he might have to tough it out and play in the midweek again.
Ivan Rakitic: 6/10
Starting a second successive game, Rakitic looked to be in fine touch in the early exchanges. But, as the game went on, it became evident that he, too, was being slowed down by fatigue, as was the case with the majority of the side. As a result, the ex-Sevilla midfielder missed a big chance from inside the box when he really should have converted.
Lionel Messi: 5/10
A 5/10 rating might appear to be harsh, but such are the standards set by Messi that when he does very little of note in a game he has to be rated accordingly. While the Barcelona captain did have three shots on target (75 percent of the shots on target his side mustered up against Sevilla), they did not carry a lot of threat and were comfortably negotiated with.
Nevertheless, Messi was involved a great deal throughout the match and had 102 touches while also playing in 1 key pass. Messi, though, was also lucky to not be booked after a skirmish with Sevilla defender Diego Carlos. Looks in need of some rest, but with Barcelona so dependent on him, it is unlikely that he will be afforded some time off.
Luis Suarez: 6/10
Making his first start since the resumption of La Liga, Suarez looked energetic for much of his outing, but lacked the clinical touch to make a difference. Alba played in a superb pass towards him only for him to miss the chance. Also had three other shots blocked. He might have improved his fitness, but the Uruguayan is still some way off his best.
Martin Braithwaite: 5/10
Preferred over Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati, Braithwaite had the chance to cement his place in the side. However, the Dane was hardly involved and did not even muster up a single shot, on or off target. He also lost possession 11 times while having just 28 touches on the ball. Night to forget.
SUBSTITUTES
Arthur Melo: 6/10
Given the last 30 minutes to make an impression, Arthur was involved quite a bit, winning 4/4 duels and completing each of the 38 passes he attempted. But, with the teammates around him tiring, his effort came for nothing, as the game fizzled out and ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Antoine Griezmann: N/A
On for the final 15 minutes or so, Griezmann hardly got a look-in, touching the ball just 9 times while completing a mere 5/8 passes. In need of some inspiration.
Riqui Puig: N/A
After an impressive cameo last time out, Puig really deserved to be given a go earlier in the game. Instead, he was a late introduction and barely had time to do anything.
