Elche 0-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings as Riqui Puig and Frenkie de Jong seal three important points for Blaugrana | La Liga 2020-21

Barcelona Player Ratings

Barcelona were comfortable against Elche

Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 7.5/10

Barcelona's German wall Marc-Andre ter Stegen gave the ball away on one occasion in the second half but made amends minutes later with an exceptional one-on-one save from Lucas Boye. The shot-stopper was comfortable on the ball and was rewarded with another clean sheet.

Ronald Araujo - 8/10

Ronald Araujo has already made a massive case for himself as Barcelona's best defender at the moment. The Uruguayan centre-back put in another reliable shift for the Blaugrana and did not put a foot wrong throughout the match.

Samuel Umtiti - 7/10

Samuel Umtiti did have a nervous moment in the first half after a slip from the Frenchman in his own half resulted in a chance for Elche. The World Cup winner was excellent with his ball at his feet and will likely give Clement Lenglet a run for his money in the months to come.

Look how happy Barcelona were for Riqui Puig after he scored his first goal for the club ✨ pic.twitter.com/1jSi5Nqiu7

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 24, 2021

Oscar Mingueza - 6/10

Oscar Mingueza nearly gifted Elche an equaliser in the second half as a clumsy slip set Lucas Boye up with an excellent opportunity against Ter Stegen. The La Masia graduate kept pace with Elche's counter-attacks but needs to work on his crosses in the final third.

Jordi Alba - 6.5/10

Jordi Alba spent most of his time in Elche's half of the pitch but was unable to create concrete chances of note for Barcelona. The left-back had very little defensive work to do and enjoyed a comfortable outing.

Sergio Busquets - 7.5/10

Sergio Busquets had one of the best games this season against Elche and retrieved the ball on several occasions. The veteran Barcelona midfielder dictated terms on the pitch and had a typically profound impact on the game.

Frenkie de Jong - 8/10

Frenkie de Jong is nearly back to his impeccable best for the first time in Barcelona colours and was involved in nearly every attacking move against Elche. The Dutch midfielder ran across the pitch to grab Barcelona's first goal off the line and burst into the penalty area with an excellent run to create Riqui Puig's goal.

🎙 @DeJongFrenkie21 talks about his goalscoring prowess in 2021. pic.twitter.com/Gkxo6IuGZf

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 24, 2021

Pedri - 7.5/10

Pedri has become Barcelona's primary orchestrator in the final third in recent weeks and played the role to perfection against Elche. The youngster regularly found spaces between the lines and

Antoine Griezmann - 6.5/10

Antoine Griezmann played in a central position against Elche and did have a few good touches in the first half. The French forward played an instrumental role in Barcelona's first goal of the game but is yet to hit his peak this season.

😀 You're looking at the face of a man who has just scored his first goal for the club he joined as a 13-year-old boy. Congrats @RiquiPuig 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/hBVVCnCR3Q

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) January 24, 2021

Ousmane Dembele - 6/10

Ousmane Dembele was one of Barcelona's most incisive players in the first half and completed several dribbles in the wider areas of the pitch. The French winger was disappointing with his set-piece deliveries, however, and will still need to work on his final product.

Martin Braithwaite - 6.5/10

Martin Braithwaite was involved in an intriguing battle with Antonio Barragan on the left flank and was marshalled by Elche's defence. The Danish striker came up with an excellent weighted cross for Barcelona's opening goal and created another chance in the second half.

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Substitutes

Riqui Puig scored an excellent goal

Francisco Trincao - 7/10

Francisco Trincao put in an improved performance against Elche and was denied his first Barcelona goal by an exceptional save from Edgar Badia. The Portuguese winger looked confident on the ball and can take plenty of heart from his performance.

Riqui Puig - 7.5/10

Riqui Puig is the man of the hour in Barcelona at the moment. The Catalan youngster had only 10 minutes to make an impact and rose the highest to head the ball home despite being the shortest man on the pitch.

Puig scored his first goal in Barcelona colours today and was thrilled with his cameo appearance. The La Masia prodigy has been knocking on the door of the first team throughout this season and made a massive statement with a well-taken goal.

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