Barcelona rose to the top of the standings in La Liga following a narrow 1-0 win over RCD Mallorca on Saturday night.
Barcelona are currently one point clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table. However, Los Blancos have a game in hand and could head back to the summit if they manage to beat Osasuna on Sunday.
Barcelona came into the game against Mallorca as the firm favourites, and they managed to grind out the all-important three points. Summer signing Robert Lewandowski handed his side the lead in the 20th minute, and although the Catalan giants failed to add to their advantage for the remainder of the game, they never really looked under pressure.
The visitors had a rather comfortable outing, and Mallorca will be thoroughly disappointed with their performance on the night. Here at The Hard Tackle, we look at how the Barcelona players performed in the narrow win over Mallorca on Saturday night
Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 6/10
The German international was barely tested throughout the game, and most of Mallorca’s efforts were directed straight at him. However, ter Stegen did well to palm the ball when called upon. He was reasonably precise with his distribution and catching as well. Overall, a solid reliable performance.
Alejandro Balde: 5/10
The talented young left-back was deployed in a right-back role on the night, and he struggled in an unnatural position. Although Balde was caught out of position a number of times, his recovery pace allowed him to make amends.
Gerard Pique: 7.5/10
The experienced Spanish defender was handed a start against Mallorca, and he did not disappoint. Pique impressed with his positioning and reading of the game. Furthermore, Pique was dominant in the air as well. The Spaniard kept things neat and tidy at the back and impressed with his accurate distribution.
✅| Gerard Pique surpasses Puyol and is now the defender with the most appearances for Barcelona(393). #fcblive ? pic.twitter.com/Fe3tuB54Dp
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) October 1, 2022
Andreas Christensen: 5/10
The Danish defender had a rather disappointing outing, and he looked ineffective in terms of his distribution from the back. Defensively, Christensen was not tested as much but in a team like Barcelona, he will have to do better when playing out of the back.
Jordi Alba: 5/10
The experienced left-back struggled to provide width to his side, and he was ineffective going forward. Defensively, he did reasonably well, but Alba will need to improve his attacking output if he wants to keep his place in the starting lineup.
Franck Kessie: 5/10
The physically-imposing Barcelona midfielder often found himself in the attacking zones, but he struggled to link up with his teammates. Kessie did win the back ball back a few times with this physicality, but he was largely ineffective apart from that.
Sergio Busquets: 7.5/10
Probably the pick of the midfielders on the night. Busquets did well to win the ball back with his impressive reading of the game, recycling possession effectively and controlling the tempo of the game from the deep.
Gavi: 5/10
The talented Barcelona midfielder has a big future ahead of him, but he was quite ineffective against Mallorca. Gavi worked hard during his stay on the pitch, but he lacked creativity and purpose on the ball. He is still quite young, and his off-colour performance can be attributed to inexperience.
Ousmane Dembele: 5/10
The Frenchman has been quite impressive this season, but it was a disappointing display against Mallorca. Dembele rarely threatened despite possessing electric pace and flair.
Robert Lewandowski: 7.5/10
Xavi, more than happy with Robert Lewandowski: “Lewandowski is a player who gives you guarantees, it’s very clear”. ?? #FCB
“I'd argue he's the best goal scorer in the world”. pic.twitter.com/v8uOljofYp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 1, 2022
The Polish international is one of the best players of his generation, and he was clinical in front of the goal once again. Lewandowski had lots to do when the chance fell to him early on in the first half but came out on top once again and fired the ball into the net to give his side the lead.
Ansu Fati: 7/10
Fati was handed his first Barcelona start in about 11 months, and he did not disappoint. He created the opening goal for Lewandowski and troubled the Mallorca defence with his movement and link-up play.
3 – Ansu Fati ?? (two assists) and Robert Lewandowski ?? (one) have combined for more goals than any other duo in LaLiga this season. Connection. pic.twitter.com/fBR1NgfUuV
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 1, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Pedri: 5/10
The young midfielder was brought on in place of Kessie to add some creativity in the middle, but he did not manage to create too many chances.
Raphinha: 5/10
Raphinha came on with 20 minutes left to play and did not create too much in the final third.
Ferran Torres: N/A
Came on too late to make any meaningful impact.
Sergi Roberto: N/A
Came on too late to make any meaningful impact.
