Barcelona vs PSV: Barcelona Player Ratings
In the first game of this season's Champions League, the Catalans got off to a blistering start beating the Dutch champions 4-0 at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana got off to a slow start in the first half with PSV defending deep and only hitting on the counter, which seemed effective until the half-time whistle. A Messi free-kick in the 31st minute was the only thing separating the 2 teams.
Come 2nd half and Barca got off to a lightning start with Ousmane Dembele scoring a banger and Messi following up with a couple of well-timed finishes. The match ended with the scoreline 4-0 which did justice to how Barcelona played in the second half.
Let's take a look at the Barcelona player ratings:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 6/10
He wasn't troubled much throughout the game and made the routine saves which came his way, but was caught out with a couple of high balls.
Sergi Roberto: 6.5/10
Enjoyed plenty of freedom down the right as most of PSV's attacks came from the left side. The Spaniard wasn't afraid to go forward and have a shot on goal. He might as well cemented his position as the starting right-back under Ernesto Valverde ahead of Nelson Semedo.
Gerard Pique: 6.5/10
He had to keep his concentration as Barcelona dominated proceedings, but did a good job and read the counters which came his way very well and put in an important block to deny Steven Bergwijn.
Samuel Umtiti: 4/10
Like his center-back partner, he was mainly put to the duty of shutting down PSV's counter-attacks. But he was silly to just throw himself in front of Hirving Lozano, resulting in an unwanted second yellow, which means he can't play their next fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Jordi Alba: 6/10
The pacy Spaniard was put to test by Mexican international Hirving Lozano and was unable to catch up with the pace of the PSV winger.
Sergio Busquets: 6.5/10
As always, he did the dirty work to stop the majority of the opposition attacks. He also combined well with Pique and Umtiti to stop them on the break.
Ivan Rakitic: 7.5/10
A prominent figure in the midfield, he was efficient as always. Tried his luck with a couple of shots from distance.
Provided a wonderful assist to Messi which finished the game off for PSV.
Phillipe Coutinho: 7/10
The Brazilian missed a glorious chance early on but was lively throughout the game. Forced wonderful saves off Zoet and kept the defenders on their toes.
Ousmane Dembele: 9/10
Strong running from the Frenchman kept the defense on toes, eventually receiving a foul outside the box, which Messi converted with ease. He also showcased his dribbling skills by making sure he was able to lose his man.
A flash of individual brilliance and the curling shot which zipped past the keeper proved how much skill the youngster possesses.
Luis Suarez: 6.5/10
The Uruguayan striker tried his best throughout the game and never stopped. Luis surely deserved a goal for his performance. But he cut a frustrated figure due to the lack of clear-cut chances- most noticeably after hitting the bar with his chip.
Lionel Messi: 10/10
The diminutive Argentine proved why he is arguably the best player on the planet. Put in a wonderful performance by dropping deep and also delivering in front of goal. Completed his hat-trick with a driven finish late on, becoming only the 2nd player to score in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons after Raul.
Substitutes:
Clement Lenglet: 6/10
Brought on after Umtiti's red, he kept things simple at the back
Arthur: N/A
Too little time to make an impact
Arturo Vidal: N/A
Came on just to waste some minutes in the end.