Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: Player ratings
In what was a closely fought encounter, Real Madrid came from behind to beat league leaders Barcelona by a goal at the Camp Nou. With this win, Real Madrid have closed down the gap between them and Barcelona to seven points.
The home team started the game strong but couldn't make much of the chances. The first half was pretty much uneventful and the both teams failed to score a goal. The break came in the second half when Gerard Pique scored off a corner kick in the 56th minute. Karim Benzema equalized for the Blancos just minutes later. Cristiano Ronaldo scored late in the game to seal the victory for the visitors.
Here's how the different players stood out.
Barcelona:
Claudio Bravo - 4.5/10
Claudio Bravo started the game strong and made a couple of good saves, before getting outplayed by the Real Madrid attack. He was caught in awkward positions a couple of times and could definitely have done better to stop Ronaldo's shot from going in.
Jordi Alba - 5/10
Jordi Alba was far from perfect. He put in some good defensive work but was pretty much useless in the attacking department.
Dani Alves - 5.5/10
Just like Alba, Dani Alves too had an average game. He did manage to keep Ronaldo in check for the major part of the game. While attacking, though, his crosses and balls were far from effective.
Gerard Pique - 7/10
Gerard Pique gave a disciplined performance as he kept the Real Madrid attack at bay for the most part of the game. He also gave Barcelona the lead by heading in the ball from a corner kick.
Javier Mascherano - 6.5/10
Javier Mascherano once again proved his importance to the team with a solid defensive performance. His interceptions and tackles were spot on as he stopped a couple of dangerous breaks from the visitors.
Sergio Busquets - 7.5/10
Sergio Busquets, as usual, was one of the best Barcelona players on the pitch. He kept the midfield ticking and his defensive work was spot on.
Ivan Rakitic - 7/10
Ivan Rakitic played a very important role for Barcelona in the midfield. He created some chances and also put in a lot of defensive work. The fact that Barcelona's midfield instantly broke down when he was subbed off is a clear indication of his performance.
Andres Iniesta - 6.5/10
Andres Iniesta was not at his usual best and could only partially succeed to take the game forward. Still a decent performance from the captain as he was good with the ball and keeping possession.
Luis Suarez - 3/10
This was one of the worst performances of the season from Luis Suarez. He was rarely was a threat for Los Blancos and also missed a couple of very easy chances which should have gone in.
Neymar - 4/10
Like Suarez, Neymar was absent for the major part of the game. He had a hard time dealing with the Real Madrid defense.
Lionel Messi - 5.5/10
Lionel Messi created some difficulties for the visitors in the beginning but slacked off soon after. He was brilliantly marked by Casemiro, who stopped the Argentine from performing at his usual best.