La Liga 2017/18; Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings

Goals from Lionel Messi and Paulinho either side of half-time brought Barcelona victory at San Mames.

Messi hit the post before opening the scoring in the 36th minute, but Ernesto Valverde's men had to dig deep in the second period.

After surviving heavy Athletic pressure, the visitors made sure of all three points when Paulinho tapped home late on in the dying minutes of the game.

Here are the player ratings for both teams:

Athletic Club

Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6/10

If you were being harsh, it could be argued that Arrizabalaga could have done slightly better for both goals. He was, however, not to blame for this loss, and he did make three good saves.

Eneko Boveda - 6/10

Boveda struggled to deal with Alba's runs in the first half, but he gradually became more assured and was more involved in Athletic's attacks than might ordinarily be expected.

Unai Nunez - 8/10

This was an extremely accomplished performance from the defender, who was one of the most impressive players on the pitch. He showed great intelligence on the cover and was confident in possession too.

Aymeric Laporte - 6/10

Laporte's speed is an asset and he needed it to make up for some suspect positioning at times. The Frenchman did improve as time went on, though.

Inigo Lekue - 7/10

With Sergi Roberto a little conservative at right-back, Lekue was able to push forward and contribute in attacking areas. Paulinho may have scored from his area of the pitch, but it is hard to blame a player for pushing for an equaliser in the dying stages.

Ander Iturraspe - 7/10

Iturraspe was at the heart of Athletic's attacking efforts on Saturday night. No team-mate had more touches, played more passes, delivered more crosses or played more key passes than the midfielder.

Mikel San Jose - 6/10

San Jose did not have the best of games, losing possession too easily at times and struggling to find space in midfield. He was replaced in the second half as the hosts pushed for a leveller.

Inaki Williams - 7/10

Williams' pace seemed to terrify Barcelona's defence when he picked up the ball with space in front of him, but his delivery into the area was inconsistent. Nevertheless, the speedy forward was his team's brightest spark for long periods.

Raul Garcia - 7/10

A physical and tough performer who never gives opponents a moment's peace, Garcia caused some problems for the Barca backline without ever really having the extra dash of quality to make a difference.

Inigo Cordoba - 6/10

This was a mixed performance from Cordoba, who was wasteful with his final ball on a number of occasions. He did whip some dangerous into the box, though.

Aritz Aduriz - 6/10

Aduriz spurned one of Athletic's most presentable openings, seeing his one-on-one effort saved by ter Stegen in the first half. He tried to hold the ball up and bring others into play, but it did not always come off.

Substitutes:

Benat Etxebarria - 7/10

Brought on as Athletic tried to muster an equaliser, Etxebarria showed good movement to find space between the lines as he looked to link midfield with attack.

Markel Susaeta - N/A

Introduced with just seven minutes left to play, Susaeta was not really given long enough to make an impact.

Barcelona

Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 8/10

Ter Stegen made two brilliant saves in either half to protect Barcelona's lead. His stop from Aduriz in the first period was particularly impressive.

Sergi Roberto - 6/10

Roberto still does not look completely comfortable at right-back, and it showed at times here. Having said that, he used the ball well and played some good passes.

Gerard Pique - 6/10

Pique has not enjoyed the best start to the campaign and he was again caught out at times here. The centre-back did not seem to relish the physical duel with Aduriz and Garcia.

Samuel Umtiti - 8/10

Umtiti, on the other hand, turned in another terrific performance to further bolster his reputation. The Frenchman did the defensive dirty work but also played some superb passes.

Jordi Alba - 7/10

Alba's provision of speed and width was important in an attacking sense, but he had to a great deal more defending in the second half. Overall, he was solid at San Mames.

Sergio Busquets - 8/10

Busquets dropped between Pique and Umtiti to make a back three in possession, which gave Barcelona control in the first half. He was also important after the break, making some key interceptions.

Paulinho - 7/10

Paulinho made sure of the win late on and helped create a big chance for Messi in the first half. He has his critics, but the Brazilian continues to do a vital job for Barca.

Ivan Rakitic - 5/10

Rakitic struggled on Saturday, failing to make the right movements and being too wasteful on the ball. He currently looks a shadow of the player he can be.

Andre Gomes - 7/10

Deployed out wide, Gomes naturally moved infield when possible and generally did well. He has not been great since moving to Barcelona, but he did a decent job in this game.

Lionel Messi - 8/10

Messi actually started this match poorly, giving the ball away and missing a big opportunity. He soon made up for that, though, scoring the first and creating several chances in the second half.

Luis Suarez - 6/10

Suarez still does not look completely fit and was peripheral at times. He was profligate with a couple of chances and again looked sluggish for much of the encounter.

Substitutes:

Nelson Semedo - 7/10

Brought drive on the right when he was introduced and helped to give Athletic something to think about going the other way.