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Barcelona warmed up for their festive clash against Real Madrid in El Clasico next week by stretching their lead at the top of La Liga table to six points. They are now 11 points clear of their eternal rivals, who are fourth, after easing past Deportivo La Coruña 4-0 at the Camp Nou.
A brace each for Luis Suarez and Paulinho saw the home side emphatically stretch Ernesto Valverde's unbeaten start in La Liga to 16 games. Andres Iniesta showed he still has a lot left in the tank with a timely performance ahead of the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu but unfortunately, it wasn't Lionel Messi's day.
The Argentine missed a penalty, along with a host of other chances. However, he'll be eager to be at the top of his game right in front of personal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Here are the player ratings.
Barcelona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 6/10
Ter Stegen was solid, without being tested much. He showed his quality in helping transitions in the first half; immediately after a Deportivo attack, he released the ball to Paulinho in midfield and the Brazilian found Messi who crashed the crossbar. The German also made a good save from Lucas Perez in second-half stoppage time.
Jordi Alba – 7/10
Enjoyed a lively start to the game at both ends, with everything coming from the left-hand side early on for Barcelona. Alba has not been at his best this season but put in a timely display, covering across the backline too. Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet in the second half when he hit the post; Paulinho tapped home the rebound.
Thomas Vermaelen – 6/10
The Belgian helped keep Lucas Perez quiet but didn’t have too many problems to deal with. He and Pique kept a high line of defence, with very little trouble despite Perez, Adrian Lopez and Carles Gil refusing to give in up front for the visitors.
Gerard Pique – 6/10
Like Vermaelen, Pique was as solid as he had to be. The action was rare, but he did the job when called upon, getting into position when either Carles Gil or Adrian Lopez got in behind the fullbacks.
Sergi Roberto – 6/10
Roberto has been good when called upon at right-back, and Nelson Semedo’s absence meant he was again. It was his pinpoint, first-time cross which set up Luis Suarez for his second goal, but he got up to offer a wide outlet whenever he could. Thanks to him and Alba, Depor were suffocated and penned in most of the time.
Ivan Rakitic – 6/10
Rakitic filled in for Sergio Busquets, who was rested with the risk of another booking ruling him out of El Clasico. The Croat’s job was to go under the radar, keep the game ticking over and allow the likes of Messi and Iniesta to run the show further up the field. Boy, they certainly did that. Rakitic will be pleased to go back to his usual role at the Bernabeu.
Paulinho – 7/10
It was another performance which proved so many doubters wrong. Paulinho covered a lot of ground, kept the balance in midfield and deserved two goals for getting into the right positions, first tapping home the rebound from Messi in the first half and similarly Alba’s effort after the break.
Andres Iniesta – 8/10
A vintage performance from the 33-year-old, rolling back the years. Iniesta moved around the pitch with grace, but it was his passing that proved decisive. He set up a number of chances as well as starting the moves for both of Suarez’s goals. He was substituted after just 55 minutes with the game at 3-0; his score would have been higher had he stayed on the pitch longer.
Lionel Messi – 7/10
Messi would have been so frustrated coming off the pitch. He found so much space behind the Deportivo midfield, utilising his free role cutting in from the right brilliantly. Having hit the bar and the post, in the build-up to Paulinho’s goal and from a second-half free kick, he can count himself unlucky not to have added to his 18 LaLiga goals. He gets a point knocked off for his penalty miss as well as failing to convert a couple of sitters; in reality, he could have had a hattrick – at least. How didn’t he score?
Paco Alcacer – N/A
Alcacer was substituted with an injury and replaced by Aleix Vidal after just 23 minutes having barely impacted the game.
Luis Suarez – 7/10
The Blaugrana number 9 led the line well, linking up with Messi and Alba effectively. Suarez looked lively and grabbed two much-needed goals, but was perhaps unlucky not to have a hat-trick courtesy of goal-line technology. He was again denied by Ruben in the second half and hit the post late on.
Substitutes:
Aleix Vidal – 6/10
Vidal was probably not expecting as big a role as he got at the Camp Nou on Sunday, but he played the majority of the game as Alcacer’s replacement. Surprisingly, Ernesto Valverde didn’t change the system, and the Catalan made something of an impact in the final third, particularly in the first half, drawing a good save out of Ruben.
Andre Gomes – 5/1
The game was already won when Gomes replaced the irrepressible Iniesta just shy of the hour mark. He didn’t do much wrong, but he barely impacted the game, certainly not on the same level as the man he stepped on the pitch instead of. In reality, this was a game to sum up his Barcelona career – not a disaster, but nothing special.
Deportivo La Coruña
Ruben – 7/10
Without their goalkeeper, this game would have ended in a cricket score. Ruben was alert throughout to add a little respect to the outcome; he was equal to Messi, Suarez and Vidal at times. He rightfully celebrated an impressive save from the Argentine’s penalty in the second half. Certainly the visitors’ best player in this one.
Fernando Navarro – 5/10
Navarro, a former Barcelona youth player, didn’t do much wrong overall but he was definitely overawed by Messi’s movement and Sergi Roberto getting forward. He was the man most at fault for allowing the latter acres of space in the build-up to the third goal and Suarez’s second. Roberto picked his spot first time, but it was too easy.
Fabian Schar – 5/10
Schar committed a few fouls but can’t really be faulted too much because most defenders would struggle to contain Suarez and Messi in the kind of form, but he and Sidnei failed to pick up Messi, the only man onside, as the home side opened the scoring.
Sidnei – 5/10
The Brazilian was marginally more impressive than his partner at the back. Neither had much hope of stopping Barcelona’s constant attacking waves once Messi broke through the lines between defence and midfield, but at least he attempted to bring the ball out and start progressively moving forward for the visitors.
Juanfran – 5/10
The right-back got forward when he could and helped support a Depor side that certainly deserves credit for their bravery. They started quickly, as did Barça, and it was quite open early on. Yet, Juanfran was targeted by Barcelona and a lot of their early attacks were started on the left, and he struggled to contain Alba and Suarez when he drifted wide to create space.
Celso Borges – 5/10
Borges didn’t have too much of an impact going forward, and he was powerless to stop Messi grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. Deportivo really couldn’t handle Barcelona between the lines and it showed in the Costa Rican’s performance, especially after his tame early shot failed to test Ter Stegen from distance.
Guilherme – 4/10
Another one, who couldn’t get a grip of the game, Guilherme didn’t get close to the Barcelona midfield and failed to track his fellow countryman Paulinho as he got forward to grab a couple of goals. The tone was set for Andres Iniesta when he was given freedom to lay off for Messi’s first miss of the evening. He went on to dominate the first hour or so with Guilherme replaced just after.
Adrian Lopez – 6/10
As a former star for Atletico Madrid, Lopez was one of the more recognisable threats for Depor. The experienced attacker was not afraid to attack the Barcelona defence, but there wasn’t much end product attached on the few occasions he got through.
Emre Colak – 4/10
Arguably the worst player on the pitch on Sunday night, Colak allowed the game to completely pass him by as he was unable to escape Rakitic’s watch. He was substituted in the second half, but Depor really didn’t carry any threat centrally and he was replaced after an hour.
Carles Gil – 6/10
Aston Villa fans will have been frustrated to see Gil put in an impressive performance at the Camp Nou. On loan from the Championship side, the youngest player on the pitch from the start, at 25, did look like he could hurt Barcelona. He had a decent effort in the first half before crossing for Perez in the second.
Lucas Perez – 5/10
Depor’s local boy and talisman fed off scraps all night, but was at the heart of their decent start and led the line well. He ran the channels well and made space for teammates but failed to carve out many clear-cut opportunities on goal.
Substitutes:
Federico Valverde – 5/10
Guilherme’s replacement was unable to stop the home side’s flow and thus couldn’t give Depor a foothold in the game. It was always going to be tough dealing with Barça in this form, though.
Zakaria Bakkali – 4/10
The talented Belgian had a tough task but couldn’t give the visitors’ a threat in the middle during his half-hour cameo.
Borja Valle Balonga – N/A
Came on with six minutes remaining, replacing Gil.
