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Lionel Messi stole the thunder at the Vicente Calderon as he propelled Barcelona to a crucial 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid. The defending champions came back from a goal down to win 1-2 as Fernando Torres had put the hosts in the driving seat in the 51st minute. A sublime free-kick from Neymar and a magical goal from Messi was enough to deliver the suckerpunch to Diego Simeone and his boys.
Here are the player ratings from the match.
Atletico Madrid
Jan Oblak – 6/10
He made a few telling saves in the first half to keep Barcelona at bay but the young stopper could’ve done better. He dealt poorly with Neymar’s free kick which sailed over his head. Like all of his teammates, he too went flat in the second half.
Juanfran Torres 6/10
The Vicente Calderon veteran was simply pedestrian for the majority of the game.
Diego Godín – 6.5/10
He was by far the best defender for the hosts but this wasn’t his best performance. Godin tried his best to take care of his compatriot Luis Suarez but couldn’t cope with the combined intensity of Messi Suarez Neymar.
Jose Giménez – 6/10
It was a gritty display by the young Uruguayan who held his own against the likes of Neymar and Suarez. He fared quite well against Rafinha in the first half but likes others he too, couldn’t cope when Barcelona stepped it up a level.
Filipe Luis – 6/10
The left back was having a good day at the office till Lionel Messi made his way to the field. Messi tormented the Brazilian almost at will and wrecked his entire evening. Unlucky to play on Messi’s side.
Tiago – 7/10
This has been quite a season for ‘young’ Tiago and today it was one of his better games in recent past. He was formidable in the centre of the park along with Gabi for major part of the game but he, too, lost the steam as the game wore on.
Gabi – 6.5/10
Atleti captain was tenacious in the first half but slowly and gradually lost his bite in the midfield as he was easily bullied by Andres Iniesta. He was rightfully replaced in the 82nd minute but till then the damage was already done.
Koke – 6.5/10
The Spanish wide-man was effective but not his usual devastating self. He failed to impose himself on the game especially in the second half when Barca started to turn on the heat .
OIiver – 7/10
The young attacking midfielder was very good against the Catalan giants. His composure on the ball and his work ethic was commendable as he played a good fodder to Torres and provided the creative spark to Atletico Madrid, but was replaced by new signing Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco.
Antoine Griezmann – 6/10
The French winger was fairly subdued today as he failed to ignite the creative spark for which he is famous for. He was kept in check for most part of the game by Barcelona’s full-backs who gave him very less time on ball and impacted his decision-making.
Fernando Torres – 7/10
He was one of the best players for Atleti on the pitch for most part of the game and he deservedly got a goal. He troubled the Barcelona centre-backs and was successful in getting behind them on quite a few occasions, on once crucial one he got his goal.
Subs
Luciano Vietto – N/A
No ratings as he didn’t have enough time to impact the game. Played only 10 minutes
Jackson Martinez – 5/10
The former Porto man was sloppy and passive to say the least. He replaced Torres but failed to have the similar impact which the RojiBlancos legend had in his 60 minutes on the field. Disappointing.
Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco – 5/10
His contribution to the game after coming on was limited as Barcelona’s influence on the ball grew.
Barcelona
Marc Andre Ter Stegen – 6/10
The German stopper was shaky when it mattered as he let the one slip past him in the second half. It was his indecision which led to Torres’ goal. He was probably the weakest player for the visitors on the pitch.
Sergi Roberto – 7/10
The young midfielder is quite ably deputising for Dani Alves as the right back. His positional awareness and comfort in possession make him a very unique fullback. Tonight, he was impressive against a tricky Atletico attack.
Javier Mascherano – 7/10
The Argentine was quite shaky in the first half as he was hassled by Fernando Torres and Oliver. Eventually, he settled into the game once Martinez came on as he replaced Torres.
Thomas Vermaelen – 6/10
The former Arsenal man is unlucky to pick up an injury once again. He was taken off in 26th minute and he was decent up until that point as well.
Jordi Alba – 7/10
The La Masia graduate did his job as usual without any fuss.
Sergio Busquets – 8/10
The mainstay of this Barcelona midfield quietly and effectively recycled the possession for the Catalan giants. His influence grew in the game after Messi’s introduction.
Ivan Rakitic – 6/10
Rakitic had an average day out in the office. Apart from that shot which induced the save from Oblak, he did nothing special. He was replaced by Messi in the 60th minute.
Andres Iniesta – 8/10
He was simply majestic in the second half of the game. The La Masia product became more lethal post-Messi’s introduction in the second half.
Neymar – 8/10
The young Brazilian did his job in Lionel Messi’s absence as he formidably led Barcelona’s attack against a formidable Atleti defence. He was quite wasteful of the chances that came his way in the first half but back to his usual self in the second. He scored the leveller with an amazing free-kick.
Luis Suarez – 8.5/10
The Uruguayan was simply majestic for the Blaugrana. He was the most lethal player on field for the visitors after Messi. It was a cracking performance from the former Liverpool man.
Rafinha – 7/10
The young attacker was given a start over Lionel Messi. He was nervous and subdued for considerable part of the game. He was more comfortable once his played more centrally alongside Iniesta.
Subs
Jeremy Mathieu – 7/10
The Frenchman was sloppy and a bit low on confidence as he struggled for the consistency in his performance throughout the game.
Lionel Messi – 8/10
The Argentine magician turned the tide for Barcelona in the last half an hour. He was too hot for the Rojiblancos to handle. This was a quintessential Lionel Messi performance. He is clearly tonight’s Man of the match.
