Barcelona Player Ratings vs Sevilla: Sloppy, slow and tired

Going into this game, we always knew it would be rather difficult. Sevilla are an incredibly organised side that combine a sturdy defence with an efficient attack, both of which were on display yesterday evening. That being said, Barcelona were on a great run of form and on paper, the clash could’ve gone either way. Unfortunately for the Catalans, the hosts deservedly took the first leg.

Be that as it may, there is still hope. After all, the Camp Nou is Barcelona’s fortress and even though there’ll be no fans to support them live, anything can still happen. The Azulgranas may need another Remontada to reach the final but Ronald Koeman’s troops are no strangers to comebacks.

Still, the Dutchman has a lot to think about heading into the reverse fixture, as well as the remainder of the campaign on all fronts. Big games are approaching and some of the wheels on his machine are squeaking.

So we’re here to review them all. Here’s how the Barcelona players fared against Sevilla last night.

Marc-André ter Stegen: 6.5

You could argue that we needed more of Marc-André ter Stegen in certain situations but the German shot-stopper was once again solid on the night. Granted, we could’ve seen a better reaction for the first goal but he did make up for it with some quality saves and decent distribution throughout the clash.

But considering he couldn’t do anything to stop Sevilla at the end of the day, the mark just cannot be much higher than that.

Óscar Mingueza: 6

While the whole backline didn’t exactly have the greatest of game, we saw some dose of proactivity from Óscar Mingueza. The youngster was once again shaky in his defensive duels but still had the courage to move forward with the ball and try to connect the thirds with his passing.

The 21-year-old completed both of his long ball attempts and finished the game with 96% passing accuracy according to SofaScore. But winning only 2/5 duels and losing possession four times in the backline can’t get him more than a 6.

Samuel Umtiti: 5

Unfortunately for Samuel Umtiti, his performances have taken a nosedive once more. Following a short string of good displays from the Frenchman, he’s becoming a liability for Koeman whenever he starts. Yesterday, sadly, was another example of just that.

Umtiti can be good in duelling with his counterparts but against Sevilla, he was lost once again, not knowing when to engage and when to drop off. Not to mention that he was, at the very least partly, at fault in both goals Barcelona conceded last night.

Maybe it’s time for him to return to the bench again.

Junior Firpo: 5.5

Junior Firpo was given another chance in Barcelona’s starting lineup, albeit on the opposite side of the pitch. Unfortunately, both for him and the team, that hasn’t exactly worked out. Firpo was sometimes too eager to engage the opposition, pointlessly losing possession and rushing into reckless challenges.

As a result, he lost most of his duels, both in the air and on the ground, and provided limited support going forward. It has to be said that he was playing behind a dominant winger, which meant he didn’t have as much freedom on the flank, and was also deployed on the right instead of the left.

But even with that being said, Firpo failed to impress once more.

Jordi Alba: 7

Giving Jordi Alba such a low mark might be a bit too harsh. Considering Barcelona’s attacking efforts were mostly repelled like waves splashing off the cliffs, there was not much the pacey full-back could’ve done to change that. He did deploy one key pass and made some good runs into the danger area but at the end of the day, couldn’t change the tide of the clash.

But since he was the one to almost secure Barcelona a penalty kick and was still quite proactive – albeit ultimately unsuccessful – he deserves at least a 7 on the night.

Sergio Busquets: 6

Sergio Busquets was very quiet on the night, and while that usually doesn’t mean he’s bad, yesterday, sadly, it also didn’t mean he was good either. Sevilla’s midfield was dominant and they successfully exposed Busquets’ lack of pace and mobility, running rings around the experienced pivot and rendering his effectiveness null.

It was very difficult for him to operate at full capacity with the rest of the team faltering across the pitch but Busquets failed to impose his presence the way he’s capable of and therefore can’t be given a much higher mark.

Frenkie de Jong: 6.5

In reality, maybe Frenkie de Jong doesn’t deserve a higher mark than Busquets. As a matter of fact, the whole midfield line of Barcelona was largely invisible and unable to cope with their rivals. Whether that’s simply because Sevilla were more organised or if this was an off-night affected by fatigue, we don’t know for sure.

But the fact remains that the Dutchman did little to warrant a higher rating on the night. He did make some runs into the box and was being proactive with his attempts but 6.5 will have to do.

Pedri: 6.5

Pedri is still that same brilliant kid who influences play perhaps more than any other player not named Lionel Messi. And yesterday, there were once again glimpses of that very same brilliance and at times, you could still see what a wonderful footballer he is.

However, he is also visibly tired and struggling to endure this high-paced schedule with no appropriate rest. Try as he might, yesterday he couldn’t keep up with the Andalusians.

Antoine Griezmann: 7

The forward line wasn’t much better either but Antoine Griezmann did create Barcelona’s only real chance and as usual, the Frenchman provided good movement in the final third. Unfortunately, his teammates couldn’t find him in the sea of Sevilla shirts.

His two key passes, decent lay-offs and support in all phases of play still mean Griezou gets a slightly higher rating than most of the others.

Ousmane Dembélé: 7.5

Again, many will say Ousmane Dembélé didn’t really do much for Barcelona when everything is said and done. And yes, he couldn’t score and he couldn’t create clear-cut chances. But Dembélé was probably the most proactive player on the pitch alongside Leo and that has been the case for weeks now.

The Frenchman was engaging in 1v1 duels out wide throughout the clash and did produce some decent moments in the game. Six out of his seven dribbles were successful and despite losing possession often, he also deployed three key passes.

That has to count for something.

Lionel Messi: 7.5

Unfortunately, Messi’s magic wasn’t enough to save Barcelona this time around. Despite missing their only big chance of the game, the Argentine was once again the man who orchestrated everything, for better or worse.

This game model can become quite predictable and that may have played a part in the Catalans’ demise. But Messi was the one with the most attempts on the night and in fact, the only one who dared to shoot out of all three of Barcelona’s forwards.

Sadly, he can’t do it alone and because of that, the Azulgranas suffered.

Substitutions

Riqui Puig: N/A
Francisco Trincão: N/A