Ter Stegen: Another great game for the German goalkeeper who seems to have recovered his best performances under the sticks. He made great interventions, especially one, to a point-blank shot that he stopped with his body. In Chukwuele’s goal he could not do anything. It is being decisive.
Eric Garcia: His worst game as a Blaugrana. It is true that he played as a right back and that Abde did not offer him help on the wing, but that does not mean that he made unforgivable mistakes, such as a fatal transfer back that Villarreal was about to take advantage of. Very bad also in the exit of the ball, theoretically his strong point. A party to forget yours.
Araújo: Superlative. The Uruguayan is so good that he had time to help his teammate Eric cover the right wing, seeing the problems of the youth squad. Everything the center-back does makes sense. He has become the great leader behind. He was close to taking advantage of a strange play, where he returned to the field after being treated and received a long pass from Ter Stegen.
Pique: He brought out the honor and pride to come out of the game with flying colors. He also ended up limping off his knee. But the Catalan center-back endured like a wild boar. The stands and especially Unai claimed some hands inside the area, which the VAR did not grant, although it must be recognized that he touched the ball with his hand when he was on the ground, the play being highly debatable.
Alba: He had to retreat limply from the field. In the seventy minutes that he was on the field he completed a good game, although without lavishing himself on the attack, since he had to protect his back to watch over the always dangerous Yeremi Pino. In fact, in an action to dispute the ball in the first half, he was already touched and playing quite lame. In the end he asked for the change.
Sergio Busquets: In the early stages of the game he received a stomp from Parejo that conditioned a good part of the match. In any case, without being such an overwhelming domain as on other occasions, he knew how to put criteria and order in the game. The intense pressure from Villarreal prevented him from feeling comfortable.
Nico: Very erratic game of the youth squad. He moved in no man’s land, unable to display his virtues and making many mistakes in the combinatorial game. He was replaced in the 80th minute by Coutinho.
Frenkie: He continues to offer talent and quality bites, but still without the continuity that the team needs. Wasting your faculties, but on many occasions without translating into anything positive. On this occasion, at least, he managed to open the scoring after a confusing play that the VAR had to delimit by millimeters that Memphis was not offside.
Abd: His first twenty minutes were simply stratospheric, constantly facing and beating his marker, always starting from the right wing. Then he lost prominence and also did not know how to put on his work overalls in defensive tasks, leaving Eric sold out on the right wing. A header from his ended up crashing into the post after a great intervention by Rulli.
Memphis: Capable of committing toddler errors in attack as well as pulling himself out of the hat with a brilliant action that ended up endorsing a goal. He missed three sung goals, some of those that are repeated in comedy shows, but then he wanted to retaliate for so much banality, with a superb goal, taking advantage of an error by Estupiñán in the clearance, beating Albiol, dribbling Rulli and with a coldness incredible to score the goal by passing the ball between Estupiñán’s legs.
Gavi: This kid is a marvel. Everything he does is with maximum intensity and always with the best of attitudes and willing to help the team at all times. The young Sevillian continues adding minutes and demonstrating the virtues of a veteran. Right now he is the undisputed starter in Xavi’s eleven. He was close to opening his scoring account, but finally the post repelled the ball.
CHANGES:
Dembélé: He was more concerned with defending his band than attacking. Generous in effort. The best news is that he played his second consecutive game without suffering in the hamstrings.
Mingueza: The truth is that Xavi did not make it easy for him, since he placed him as a left back to stop Chukwuele. He did what he could, but the truth is that he had a hard time. In Villarreal’s goal he was late to the crossing.
Coutinho: It seems that the Brazilian is beginning to read the message between the lines. He put on his overalls in the fifteen minutes he was on the field, caused a penalty and scored it, definitively closing the match.
