A first leg win and the ratings are in.
Jasper Cillessen
Operated as the sweeper when needed which is a talent we don't always see from Cillessen. Especially in the opening minutes, his intelligence to come out early stopped a dangerous Valencia attack.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Sergi Roberto
With Vidal staying wide, Roberto often came more narrow in order to help the attack but he rarely received the ball in these positions. In a defensive sense, he was sometimes caught too high up the field and required Umtiti or Piqué to bail him out.
Sam says: 6
You say: 7
Samuel Umtiti
A commanding performance from Umtiti which snuffed out any Valencia attacks before they could really develop into something dangerous.
Sam says: 9
You say: 9
Gerard Piqué
Produced a smart lunge to get the ball up and other the bar from a Valencia cross. Could have ended in curtains with the ball finding the net but an experienced player such as Piqué had not problem dealing with this as he did throughout the match.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Jordi Alba
Was a needed option as Barça looked to create overloads and drag the Valencia defenders out of position. His pull backs were good again but they didn’t quite come off with the same frequency that we are used to.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Sergio Busquets
Very rarely was he beaten in behind especially not centrally and if Valencia did manage in a counterattack, it came from down the wings. Quickly converted defence into attack which was needed against a well organised opponent like Valencia.
Sam says: 8
You say: 8
Andrés Iniesta
Operated well just behind the front three. The pushing forward of Iniesta did not allow Valencia much time to regain their defensive shape and the captain tested this defence with accurate passes or neat one-twos. Was substituted in the
Sam says: 8
You say: 7
Ivan Rakitić
The less effective of the two attacking midfielders, Rakitić did not really burst forward all too frequently in this game and his influence was a little muted. Left the field for Paulinho.
Sam says: 6
You say: 7
Aleix Vidal
Played very well as he continues to enjoy a period of fine form. Often cutting back, he was able to produce very, precise passes that opened up an organised Valencia defence.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Luis Suárez
Was making all the right runs as he looked to continue his incredible goalscoring form. In the first half, he was frequently an inch away from making connection with the ball but he made up for this in the second half with a header at the back post.
Sam says: 8
You say: 8
Lionel Messi
Was given no space by the Valencia defenders and when he did receive the ball it was sometimes rushed. This resulted in him finding the side netting or shooting wide or more than one occasion. Still looked Barça’s most creative player though.
Sam says: 8
You say: 8
Philippe Coutinho
Entered the match just before the hour mark and had a couple of dangerous shots.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Paulinho
In a typically Paulinho fashion, he was brought on just after a goal had been scored. Marshalled the play if nothing spectacular.
Sam says: 6
You say: 6
Paco Alcácer
Looked lively in his 17 minute cameo.
Sam says: 7
You say: 7
Ernesto Valverde
Did not play a weakened team this time round and the team repaid him with a win. Made smart changes which has become a hallmark of Valverde’s Barça career.
Sam says: 7
You say: 8
The Team
Struggled to break down Valencia in the first half but they got their goal and more importantly they stopped Valencia from getting theirs. With no away goals to them name, Valencia will need to stop Barça scoring if they have any hope of reaching the final.
Sam says: 8
You say: 8
MOTM & MOTMOTM
Sam says:
You say: Samuel Umtiti
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