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Barcelona
Marc-André ter Stegen: 5/10
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The German was relatively untested throughout the game as all he had to do was collect a few crosses.
Nelson Semedo: 6/10
The 23-year-old seems to have acclimatised to life in Spain exceptionally well. He resembles everything Dani Alves used to at the Nou Camp as he stationed himself wide on the right acting as an ever-present passing option for Barcelona.
Gerard Piqué: 6.5/10
The Spanish CB basically played as a deep-lying playmaker against Espanyol, as he felt no need to stay in line with Umtiti. In the end, the Catalan was able to add himself to the scoresheet with a header from a Rakitic corner in 87th minute.
Samuel Umtiti: 5/10
Although Barcelona were relatively untested throughout the game, on the rare occasions Espanyol did venture forward, Umtiti looked shaky. In possession, he was safe and rarely tried to break the lines, but in defence, he looked like a deer in front of headlights.
Jordi Alba: 8/10
As one of the most attacking full-backs in the world, Jordi Alba showed us again why he’s so crucial to Barcelona’s build-up play. The Spaniard bombed up & down the left flank in the absence of a left winger, basically playing the role of two players.
His gung-ho mentality eventually led him to assist Lionel Messi’s 2nd goal in the penalty box. The Spaniard assisted Messi again in the second half, with another clever cut back.
Ivan Rakiti?: 7/10
As the link between midfield and attack, Rakiti? produced a calm & assured performance that kept the flow of possession ticking over. Even through his relaxed nature, the Croatian was still able to pick out an offside Lionel Messi for the game’s opening goal. He later provided a set-piece assist for Gerard Pique, showing his quality from dead-ball situations too.
Sergio Busquets: 6/10
The midfield maestro did all he could to shift the low-block of Espanyol from side to side. As a holding midfielder, Busquets had to be wary of all opposing counter attacks whilst finding the best ways to break down the banks of four.
Andrés Iniesta: 6/10
The Spanish legend tried to facilitate Messi’s free role as much as he could. He also tried to position himself in places where he could quickly produce one-twos with the three forwards.
Lionel Messi: 9/10
The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner once again delivered for the Catalan giants. He was able to find space in between a resolute low-block and score his first in the 26th minute. The Argentinean added to his tally in the 34th minute after a lightning quick counter attack ended with a reverse cross from Jordi Alba.
Lionel Messi was the heartbeat of everything good going forward for the Catalans and nothing progressed without his input. Messi completed a marvellous performance in the 66th minute as he scored the 38th hat trick of his Barcelona career.
Luis Suárez: 5.5/10
The Uruguayan striker tried his best to contribute to Barcelona’s intricate link-up play but nothing would come off for him. He was always involved but rarely on the end of any meaningful chances. The 30-year-old finally got on the scoresheet when débutante Dembele set him up on a plate in the final minutes of the game.
Gerard Deulofeu: 7/10
It’s only a matter of time before Ousmane Dembélé starts games at the Nou Camp, but for now, Deulofeu is a more than capable replacement. The Spaniard is quick, determined and aggressive in both dribbling and pressing. He was a constant presence in the final third and gave Messi an option to link up with.
Substitutions:
Ousmane Dembele: 7/10
In his short cameo, Dembele did his best to give the Nou Camp faithful a glance at his silky skills and daring dribbling. On top of that, he showed the world why he provided 20 assists in the Bundesliga last season as he set up Luis Suarez in the dying minutes to make the scoreline 5-0.
Paulinho: 6.5/10
Brought on just to sure up the midfield, Paulinho silenced some of his critics by being a rock in the middle.
Andre Gomes: N/A
With the game done & dusted, Gomes came on for Andres Iniesta just to maintain the pace of the game.
