Deportivo Alaves defeated Barcelona 1-0 in their first match after winning the league title. Player ratings highlighted Lewandowski's low performance at 4.5 and Cortes' strong showing at 7.5.
Key points
Deportivo Alaves defeated Barcelona 1-0
Barcelona played their first game after winning the league title
Lewandowski received a rating of 4.5
Cortes was rated 7.5 for his performance
Barcelona failed to secure even a point from the match
Reigning and recently crowned league champions Barcelona took to the field for their first game after their title-winning game against Real Madrid last night, and the game went exactly as many expected.
Still in the hangover of their win, Barcelona lacked the intensity and intent that Alaves showed on the night and the relegation-threatened side played with more heart and determination than the visitors.
Eventually, they took the lead on the night late in the first-half and forced Hansi Flick to dig deep into his bench after the break to salvage a point. The Catalans, however, did not manage to take even a point away.
Barça Universal brings you the player ratings from Deportivo Alaves 1-0 Barcelona.
Given that the league title was decided and Joan Garcia’s Zamora Trophy chances may be affected, Hansi Flick handed Wojciech Szczesny a start against Deportivo Alaves and the veteran looked a bit rusty.
He made two saves in the first half but could have done a bit better to keep the goal out. Looked comfortable with his distribution and made one big save after the break.
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Similar to Joan Garcia’s situation in goal, Hansi Flick handed Joao Cancelo a rest at left-back and brought Alejandro Balde back into the lineup last night to hand the La Masia star a chance to prove his worth.
While he was neat with his distribution, he could have delivered a more convincing defensive performance and should have had more end-product for his attacking forays.
Alvaro Cortes: 7.5
Making his first start for the first team, Cortes was the big surprise in Hansi Flick’s lineup for the night and did well to keep up with the pressure.
He was solid with his decision-making and defensive actions and exceedingly positive with his passing range and accuracy against Alaves. Did not look like a player making his debut in any sense.
Pau Cubarsi: 7
Cubarsi was one of the few mainstays who was retained in the starting lineup as a pillar to keep the XI solid and he did well to lead the back-line by example.
His distribution, again, was his strongest suit, but the player racked up three clearances and two recoveries in just the opening 45 minutes and followed suit after the break.
Jules Kounde: 6.5
The Frenchman made a return to Barcelona’s starting XI after El Clasico and did decently at the back, although he did not have too much to deal with in defence. Could have done better going forward as the full-back and combining with Roony Bardghji.
Featured as a central defender after the hour mark and looked relatively comfortable in that position.
With Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong all rested, Bernal was tasked with maintaining control of Barcelona’s buildup through the middle and anchoring the team as the pivot.
While his distribution and dribbling were up to the mark, he did struggle on occasion with the defensive aspect of his role, especially given the relative lack of support.
Marc Casado: 6
The La Masia star was Bernal’s partner-in-crime on the night but was not quite up to the mark given how he failed to take up responsibility as he should have.
While Casado did not make any obvious errors, he did not look like the senior of the two players in the pivot in any capacity, and his decision-making off the ball was questionable at times.
Not Olmo’s best outing. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The Spaniard was one of the stars of the show in Barcelona’s recent win over Real Madrid in La Liga but his performance last night did not have much to cheer about.
With two key passes, he was one of the team’s more creative presences on the field and did create threat in the final third. His shooting and work rate off the ball, however, could have been better given how he was one of the most senior players on the field.
Roony Bardghji: 5
Bardghji’s performance was disappointing. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The Swedish player was given a chance to prove his worth to the manager once more, but his performance despite being given the start was largely forgettable.
Neither did Bardghji create a threat from the shots he took, nor were his crosses particularly vicious or his dribbles threatening. His inability to perform even in Lamine Yamal’s absence, needless to say, is concerning and may directly impact his future at the club.
The hero from El Clasico was handed another start by the manager and often looked like Barcelona’s only serious attacking threat. His runs into space and dribbling created some attacking channels, but his passing and shooting were far from ideal.
Despite having multiple shots on goal, the player never really came close to realistically scoring and he failed to deliver a single accurate cross until the hour mark.
Robert Lewandowski: 4.5
Lewandowski looked uninspired in front of the goal. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The Polish striker was handed a start by Flick but could not really impose himself on the opposition defence as he struggled to register a single shot on goal. In fact, he was largely invisible for most of the game.
