Athletic Bilbao 0-4 Barcelona: Player ratings as superb Lionel Messi display helps Barcelona clinch Copa Del Rey title
Barcelona clinched the 2020/21 Copa Del Rey title after grabbing a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the final on Saturday.
Both sides fell to defeat in their last Copa Del Rey finals and were aiming to finally get their hands on the title.
Back in January, the hosts grabbed a shock win over Barcelona in the Spanish Super cup final. Ever-present striker Inaki Williams scored the decisive goal in extra time to hand Marcelino’s men a 3-2 win and end their six-year wait for a trophy.
However, it would be Barcelona who claimed the Copa Del Rey title when both sides squared off at the Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday.
With Marcelino’s men pegged deep into their own half, Barcelona were given the space and time to operate fluidly all game, especially in attack.
Despite this, the game was deadlocked heading into the break, thanks to a wasteful display by the Barcelona frontmen. However, the second half brought a change to the game as Barcelona hit four goals to claim a resounding 4-0 win.
Antoine Griezmann made amends for his poor first-half outing by opening the scoring in the 60th minute, before Frenkie de Jong doubled the Blaugrana’s lead.
Lionel Messi then completed the route by grabbing a brace to hand Barcelona a 4-0 win and their first Copa Del Rey title since the 2017/18 season.
Athletic Bilbao 0-4 Barcelona Player Ratings
Athletic Bilbao player ratings
Unai Simon - 6/10
A heroic first-half performance from the Spanish shot-stopper. He kept his side in the game as he blocked out a few clear-cut chances from the visitors. However, it was only a matter of time as Barcelona piled on the pressure until they broke the deadlock in the second half.
Inigo Martinez - 5/10
He failed to deal with Barcelona’s constant waves of attack and was often second-best when dueling for the ball. He missed Athletic Bilbao’s chance to grab a goal in the game as he fluffed his finish.
Yeray Alvarez 5.5/10
Alvarez was the more solid of the hosts' central defensive pair. He was wasteful with his passes, completing just 50% of them, but would finish the game with four clearances and two tackles.
Oscar de Marcos - 5/10
It was a quiet night for the 32-year-old Spaniard. He failed to impose himself on the game and, along with his teammates, was often pegged back by Barcelona’s frontmen.
Mikel Balenziaga - 6/10
The full-back was Athletic Bilbao’s best performer besides Unai Simon. He kept the Barcelona defense busy as he constantly marauded forward to create something in attack. However, he was offered little support by his teammates.
Unai Lopez - 5/10
An unimpactful outing from the former Rayo Vallecano man. Barcelona’s superb midfield play meant he kept chasing the ball around before he was replaced in the 67th minute.
Iker Muniain - 4/10
Not the best of performances from the Athletic Bilbao captain. He was off pace from the start of the game and ultimately failed to grow into it. He was replaced at the half-time break.
Alex Berenguer 5.5/10
Berenguer had to track back occasionally to stop the Barcelona attack. He was decent in doing that, as the visitors failed to score in his 54 minutes on the pitch.
Dani Garcia - 5.5/10
The midfielder had a solid shift at the center of the park. He did the dirty job for the hosts, winning tackles and interceptions. However, he picked up a yellow card when he hacked down Lionel Messi in an attempt to stop a Barcelona counter.
Inaki Williams - 5/10
The striker was starved of serving up top as he was isolated by the defensive hosts. He finished the game with no shots on target before he was surprisingly substituted in the 67th minute.
Raul Garcia - 5.5/10
Athletic Bilbao’s defensive approach meant the veteran striker had to drop deep to support his midfield and backline. He did that diligently, winning two tackles, one clearance and one interception. Not bad for a center-forward.
Player ratings for the Athletic Bilbao substitutes
Inigo Lekue - 5/10
Inigo Lekue replaced the struggling Iker Muniain at half-time, but he also failed to make an impact on the game
Mikel Vesga - 5.5/10
He replaced Alex Berenguer in the 54th minute and was decent in midfield. He kept the play ticking with accurate passes. He completed over 80% of his attempted passes.
Unai Nunez - 4/10
With the score at 2-0, Nunez was brought on to inject fresh life and help mount a comeback for the hosts. He failed to do that.
Asier Villalibre - 4/10
Villalibre was one of the hosts’ triple sub in the 67th minute. He offered nothing in attack and failed to impact the game.
Yuri Berchiche - 4/10
He replaced Unai Lopez in the 67th minute but made no telling contribution