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It was yet another bad night for Barcelona as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Tuesday. The Catalan giants have now drawn three of their lost four games which effectively puts Real Madrid in a very strong position for the La Liga title.
The draw also means that the door is open for Los Blancos to extend their lead at the top of the standings to four points, with only five matches remaining.
Without further ado, here are the player ratings from the crucial encounter between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona Player Ratings
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen – 6/10
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen did not have too many saves to make throughout the game but one crucial error led to a penalty being re-taken. The 28-year-old shot-stopper had a decent game and was good with his ball distribution. However, he could have dealt better with the second penalty.
Nelson Semedo – 6/10
Nelson Semedo was heavily involved in the second half as he won Barcelona a penalty before going on to concede Atletico's second penalty. He also made some decent forward runs and passes.
Gerard Pique – 7/10
Gerard Pique was solid and composed in the box for most of the game and did not allow Atletico Madrid's forwards too much space to work in. He used his physical strength to amazing effect and handled almost everything thrown at him.
Clement Lenglet – 7/10
Clement Lenglet was graceful with the ball at his feet and efficiently positioned himself on the pitch throughout the game. It's not an easy task handling Diego Costa but the Barcelona centre-back was up for the challenge and put up a good fight against his opponent.
Jordi Alba – 6/10
Jordi Alba was not as involved in the game as he normally would be. He made some decent runs but wasn't at his very best. The Spaniard was pushed back by Atletico Madrid's wingers and full-backs and was not as influential as he so often is in attack.
Ivan Rakitic – 6.5/10
Ivan Rakitic displayed his brilliant composure on the ball in the first half but slowly began to lose his influence after the break. The Croatian was another Barcelona player who had a dull night with not much contribution in either half.
Sergio Busquets – 7/10
Sergio Busquets played a pivotal role in the opener as he flicked the ball which deflected off Diego Costa into the goal. The Spanish midfielder struggled to establish his authority in midfield but had a decent game compared to his teammates.
Arturo Vidal – 6/10
Arturo Vidal had multiple opportunities to stick the ball in but appeared to be narrowly wide on every occasion. The midfielder played some good passes but was also at fault for giving away the first penalty. He was more present in the second half but is likely gutted after missing his potentially game-winning opportunities.
Riqui Puig – 8.5/10
Riqui Puig was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch as he oozed finesse in possession. He was confident on the ball and displayed incredible vision to pick out the best possible pass. The 20-year-old midfielder certainly had a performance to remember but unfortunately for him, it came on a night to forget for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi – 7.5/10
Lionel Messi tallied his 700th career goal on Tuesday night with a magical execution of panenka against one of the best goalkeepers in the world. However, the Barcelona skipper was a little sloppy in his passes and ultimately failed to inspire his team to a win.
Luis Suarez – 5/10
Luis Suarez offered next to nothing in the final third on Tuesday night as he was barely involved in Barcelona’s attacking play. He was slow, lacked dynamism and did not seek out his teammates during the game. It was a miserable performance from the Uruguayan and one that should lead Setién to reconsider his options.
Substitutes
Sergi Roberto – 7/10
The second-half substitute was composed with the ball at his feet and took over as the midfield anchor for Barcelona after Sergio Busquets was brought off. He showed immense confidence but could not make any positive impact on the game.
Ansu Fati – NA
Ansu Fati didn’t have enough time to make an impact for Barcelona.
Antoine Griezmann – NA
Antoine Griezmann didn’t have time to make an impact on the game.
Atletico Madrid Player Ratings
Jan Oblak - 7/10
Captain for the day and arguably the best goalkeeper in the world for many seasons, Jan Oblak had a decent game against Barcelona. He made a huge difference with a couple of really good saves. He did well to deny Ivan Rakitic in the first half and even better to turn away a deflected Lionel Messi free-kick.
Santiago Arias - 6.5/10
Santiago Arias made crucial runs throughout the game and did well to keep the adventurous Jordi Alba quiet. Although he didn’t attack much, his cross to Diego Costa was served on a plate and it was a big chance wasted.
Jose Gimenez - 6.5/10
Jose Gimenez was hardly troubled by Luis Suarez throughout the game and even came close to scoring with a header.
Felipe - 6/10
Felipe was not at his usual best against Barcelona. He conceded the penalty which was beautifully converted by Lionel Messi. He did not commit any other errors of significance but it wasn't his best game.
Renan Lodi - 6.5/10
Renan Lodi has been one of Atletico Madrid's best players this season. He did not have any problems against Nelson Semedo in the first half but he showed signs of struggle as the game went into the second half. Having said that, he put in a very decent performance against Barcelona.
Angel Correa - 6/10
Angel Correa was not at his best and this was increasingly evident as the game went on. He did well to start some counter-attacks but was not very effective in the final third.
Thomas Partey - 7/10
Thomas Partey put in yet another massive performance against Barcelona. He did not let the opposition players settle and pass the ball around. He was also strong in his tackles and was at the heart of the midfield battle.
Saul Niguez - 7.5/10
Saul Niguez bagged a brace against Barcelona with two well-taken penalties and it appears the Spanish midfielder just cannot stop scoring in big games.
Yannick Carrasco - 8.5/10
Yannick Carrasco was incisive, threatening and gave Barcelona constant problems. He won both penalties for Atletico Madrid and was their best player of the night. He could become a key member in the next few months as Los Rojiblancos look to win their first-ever Champions League trophy.
Diego Costa - 5.5/10
It was a night to forget for Diego Costa as he scored an own goal and missed a penalty. He also missed a very good chance to score when Arias put in an amazing cross for him during the game. He was substituted for Alvaro Morata later in the second half.
Marcos Llorente - 6.5/10
Arguably the league's best player since the restart, Marcos Llorente could not significantly influence the game this time around. He gave Jordi Alba a lot of work to do but his impact wore away as the minutes passed and Joao Felix subsequently replaced him.
Substitutes
Joao Felix - 6/10
Joao Felix tested Ter Stegen shortly after coming on but failed to have any impact on the game.
Alvaro Morata - 6/10
Alvaro Morata was on for the last 15 minutes of the game. He had one good run and a shot inside the Barcelona box but didn't have time to impact the game in any significant way.
Thomas Lemar - 5.5/10
Thomas Lemar was a very late arrival in the game but had the chance to grab the headlines with a goal contribution. However, he misplaced his pass and missed an amazing opportunity to help his side grab all three points.
Vitolo - NA
Didn’t have time to make an impact in the game.
