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Barcelona scraped past an organised Athletic Bilbao outfit to move to the top of the La Liga table earlier today. The Catalans struggled to find a way through the Basque side's defence in the first half but were able to comfortably win the game thanks to an excellent strike from Ivan Rakitic.
Barcelona's substitutes inspire the side to a narrow victory
Barcelona started the first half in typical fashion with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets monopolising the possession. Athletic Bilbao was the more threatening team, however, and nearly scored on the counter as Inaki Williams outpaced Gerard Pique but blazed his shot into the side netting.
Barcelona found little opposition in the midfield but struggled to create opportunities in the final third. Luis Suarez attempted an ambitious back-heel that was cleared easily by Athletic Bilbao's defence. A few minutes later, Lionel Messi dragged half of the Athletic Bilbao defence towards him and found Luis Suarez in space but the Uruguayan was unable to hit the target.
Barcelona took the pitch with a renewed sense of purpose in the second half and Antoine Griezmann forced Unai Simon into making a good save. Quique Setien turned the game on its head by introducing Riqui Puig and Ivan Rakitic at the hour-mark.
Riqui Puig had a brilliant game and was a constant menace in the midfield. The youngster showed plenty of verve and energy and played some excellent forward passes. Barcelona finally broke the deadlock through a well-taken Ivan Rakitic goal and held on to secure a hard-fought victory against a resilient Bilbao outfit.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 7/10
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was rarely troubled by Athletic Bilbao in goal. The German keeper did well to get a hand to a loose ball after a Bilbao corner in the opening stages and was nearly caught off his line by Raul Garcia in yet another set-piece situation towards the end of the game.
Gerard Pique - 7.5/10
Gerard Pique was troubled by the pace of Inaki Williams in the first few minutes but bounced back very well and was a calm presence in Barcelona's back-line. The big Spaniard made several crucial interceptions and even ventured forward on a few occasions to ignite Barcelona's attacking moves in the final third.
Clement Lenglet - 8/10
Clement Lenglet has emerged at Barcelona's rock in defence. The Frenchman did not put a foot wrong tonight and recycled possession brilliantly. The defender is complementing Gerard Pique well and their partnership could be crucial to Barcelona's La Liga aspirations.
Jordi Alba - 6.5/10
Jordi Alba had very little to do in defence and often found himself in the final third. The left-back struggled with his final pass, however, and often cut into the midfield to access more options in Barcelona's narrow setup. His deflected cross nearly resulted in a goal in the closing stages of the game.
Nelson Semedo - 7/10
Nelson Semedo was engaged in an interesting battle with Athletic Bilbao winger Inigo Cordoba in the first half but dominated his flank in the second half. Like his partner-in-crime Jordi Alba, the Portuguese full-back often did well to find himself in excellent positions but struggled with his final product.
Sergio Busquets - 6.5/10
Sergio Busquets put in a mixed performance at the heart of the pitch for Barcelona. The defensive midfielder was occasionally troubled by Sancet and misplaced a few passes but also made important interceptions and played an excellent lobbed ball to Luis Suarez in the first half. An early yellow card means that the midfielder will miss Barcelona's trip to Celta Vigo.
Arthur - 5.5/10
Arthur was typically comfortable in possession but had virtually no impact on the game in the first half. The Brazilian struggled to break Bilbao's rigid lines and resorted to playing lateral and backward passes.
With news of Barcelona's reported agreement with Juventus to involve the player in a swap deal, Arthur does not have much time to prove himself to his employers.
Arturo Vidal - 7/10
Arturo Vidal had an interesting outing against Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona's Chilean midfielder was an energetic as ever and would have received a better rating had he not lost possession as many times as he did for Barcelona.
The enigmatic midfielder nearly got on to the scoresheet in the last few minutes of the game and was denied by an excellent save from Unai Simon.
Lionel Messi - 8/10
In the first half, it often seemed as though Lionel Messi was the only one trying to make something happen in Barcelona. The Argentine did display his excellent dribbling skills on a few occasions but met with traffic as Athletic Bilbao crowded the diminutive Barcelona captain.
Lionel Messi profited from the introduction of Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati in the second half and was able to pick up the ball in advanced positions on the pitch. We may never know whether the Argentine intended his reverse pass in the build-up to Ivan Rakitic's goal but for the sheer magnitude of his effort tonight, Lionel Messi deserves plenty of applause.
Luis Suarez - 6/10
Luis Suarez showed glimpses of his former self, with the occasional excellent touch in the first half and a solitary dribble in the second. The Uruguayan striker did have a few opportunities to shoot at the goal but never looked like he was going to score.
Barcelona will need Luis Suarez firing on all cylinders to mount a serious title challenge this season.
Antoine Griezmann - 6.5/10
Antoine Griezmann worked extremely hard in the final third for Barcelona but came away with very little to show for it yet again. The French striker had a few good moments in the first half and played a few good passes and dummies.
Antoine Griezmann also had a golden opportunity to open the scoring for Barcelona in the second half but failed to lob the ball over Unai Simon.
Substitutes
Riqui Puig - 8.5/10
Riqui Puig was Barcelona's much-needed spark of energy and creativity in Barcelona's midfield. The young Catalan came on for Arthur and instantly changed the complexion of the game.
Riqui Puig showed an incredibly impressive work-rate and ventured deep into the opposition's territory. The midfielder broke Athletic Bilbao's lines with ease and linked up very well with Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati. Quique Setien will find it very hard to ignore the youngster's performance tonight.
Ivan Rakitic - 8.5/10
Ivan Rakitic was Barcelona's knight in shining armour tonight. The much-maligned midfielder has been in excellent form since the restart of the La Liga season and took his goal brilliantly to secure all three points for Barcelona.
With Frenkie de Jong out for the foreseeable future, Ivan Rakitic will play a crucial role in Barcelona's title charge this season.
Ansu Fati - 7.5/10
Ansu Fati replaced Antoine Griezmann in the second half and offered Barcelona the plenty of width on the left flank. The Barcelona youngster offered the side a new dynamic with his dribbling and showed exceptional skill to get past his marker on numerous occasions.
Ansu Fati should have scored from Unai Simon's rebound in stoppage-time, however. At only 17 years of age, the winger has tremendous potential and can mature into a lethal player for Barcelona.
Martin Braithwaite - NA
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