Barcelona Player Ratings vs Athletic Bilbao — Alba horror show rescued by Messi and Griezmann

Barcelona avenged their loss against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Supercup through an assertive 2-1 victory, with all three goals coming from the Catalans. Woefully, though, Unai Simon had to pick the ball out of his net on merely two occasions as Jordi Alba’s own goal put the visitors back in the game momentarily.

However, regardless of Alba’s misjudgment, it was an encouraging performance from Ronald Koeman’s men, who did not let an individual error faze them in the slightest. Returning to home soil evidently did the side a world of good and the dominance in possession was a precise reflection of the scorecard, and ended the game with all plaudits in their wing. Here are how the players fared in their third encounter against Athletic Bilbao this season.

Marc-André Ter Stegen: 6.5

The German shot-stopper had a relatively comfortable night in goal as he was tasked to make 2 saves only and remained untested by Bilbao’s forwards for large portions of the game. However, Ter Stegen was deprived of a well earned cleansheet after Jordi Alba embarrassingly put the ball behind his own net.

Oscar Mingueza: 6.5

With Sergiño Dest still recovering from his muscle discomfort, Mingueza was in charge of handling the right-back spot. Despite his limitations in this position being made evident over the past few games, he was fairly decent on the night. The Spaniard was partially responsible for Athletic Bilbao’s equalizer as his inability to track back in time allowed the visitors to barrage in a fruitful cross, which Jordi Alba failed to clear. Nonetheless, Mingueza made up for his error with a terrific assist for Griezmann’s goal.

Ronald Araújo: 7.5

Ronald Araújo’s impact on the team was yet again exponential. The Uruguayan was an imposing figure at the heart of defense and hardly ever put a foot wrong. Winning 5 out of 7 duels and showcasing precise positioning throughout the game, Araújo continued his flawless form at the back. The 21 year old even came close to scoring on one occasion. 

Samuel Umtiti: 7.5

Replacing his French compatriot, Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti filled in at center-back with an excellent exhibition. While he only had to engage in 4 duels, it was Big Sam’s excellent anticipation of Iñaki Williams and Raúl García that helped him form a solid partnership with Ronald Araújo.

What was most noteworthy about Umtiti’s performance was his immensely accurate distribution of the ball. He was exceptionally coordinated with the interiors and exploited Athletic’s lines in midfield frequently, making a strong case for himself to start against Granada in the upcoming Copa Del Rey clash.

Jordi Alba: 5

Jordi Alba’s performance against Athletic Bilbao summed up his last few years at the club best: despite providing moments of sheer magic and troubling opposition back-lines frequently, his lapses of judgement at the back end up blemishing his achievements upfield.

Jordi Alba is now tied for most own goals (5) in La Liga history. pic.twitter.com/wBvdl8IceB

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) January 31, 2021

The left-back may have been an influential figure bursting forward, but his own goal in the 49th minute ruined Barça’s clean sheet and provided the visitors to get back into the game briefly.

Frenkie de Jong: 7

In Sergio Busquets’ absence, it appeared that De Jong had undertaken a much more deeper position and was habitually seen supplementing the back-line. While he rarely provided his incisive runs inside the box, the Dutchman’s alternation of roles with Pjanic and insane work rate proved to be a defining factor in the Blaugranas‘ 2-1 victory.

Miralem Pjanic: 7

The Bosnian was seen occupying the role of an interior against Bilbao, adding his dynamism in the center of the park and linking up well with the front-line. Miralem Pjanic effectively combined with his teammates and was a reliable outlet in possession. Additionally, Pjanic came oh-so close to scoring after proceedings.

Pedri: 7.5

With his low center of gravity and exceptional awareness of the game, Pedri was once again a technically astute workhorse on the field. The young prodigy was practically everywhere, almost as if he had been teleporting to make recoveries and torment opponents. The 18 year old was a joy to watch on the ball and silently provided some magical moments on the field.

Ousmane Dembélé: 7

Ousmane Dembélé had one of his better games this month as he looked sharp in possession and lured a great deal of attention away from Messi with his mazy dribbles. Although the Frenchman failed to significantly contribute to any goals, he was remarkably mature in defense and was partly responsible for Griezmann’s winner as he spotted Mingueza’s run smartly.

Lionel Messi: 8.5

Lionel Messi gave the perfect response to all those who attempted to judge this genius’ brilliance in monetary values. The magician proved to be a cut above the rest against Athletic Club, avenging his recent loss in the Supercup in fitting fashion. In addition to pressing valiantly and successfully completing most of his dribbles, Leo scored a magnificent free kick in the first half as he once again defied the laws of physics.

Antoine Griezmann: 8

Antoine Griezmann’s redemption arc may finally be justifying his immense price tag. The French forward was lethal on the left flank and was an asset with his work off the ball. After complementing his compatriots effectively, he reaped the benefits of his selfless nature by scoring a well deserved goal. Griezmann’s love for scoring against Athletic Bilbao enabled the hosts to seal a 2-1 victory.

Substitutions

Sergi Roberto: 6.5

Clement Lenglet: N/A

Martin Braithwaite: N/A