Espanyol 1-0 Barcelona: Player Ratings

Barcelona

Barcelona players dejected after the loss

Jasper Cillessen: 7/10

The Dutch international started in this cup tie in place of regular keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. He was generally solid and made a few good saves, especially in the second half. There was not much he could have done about the goal, as it was placed quite well in the bottom corner.

Sergi Roberto: 6/10

Sergi Roberto was uncharacteristically sloppy today. He was not very involved in the attack and gave away the ball on quite a few occasions, including a very poor back pass. However, he defended well and also won a penalty for his side.

Gerard Pique: 7.5/10

Pique trying to cover the shot by Melendo

The Spanish international looks to have regained his peak form after a slow start to the season. He was always ready at the back, aware of all the incoming dangers and had his sleeves up to it. He dominated Espanyol attackers in the air and was quite solid when put one on one.

Thomas Vermaelen: 7/10

The Belgian international has been a revelation for Barcelona this season. As usual, he was his usual aggressive, reliable self. He was assured in possession and monstrous in the air. However, he was caught upfield for the goal and would be disappointed to have that dent on his near-perfect night.

Lucas Digne: 6.5/10

It is not a surprise that on a night when both the Barcelona fullbacks did not provide the optimum level of attacking input, the team struggled in attack. However, to Digne's credit, he was solid in defence and almost always won his tackles.

Sergio Busquets: 7/10

The Spanish international was his usual self at the base of the midfield despite an absence of his regular midfield partners. He broke down plays with consummate ease and then started the counter attacks.

Paulinho: 5/10

The Brazilian was certainly not quite involved in the game. His creative impetus for a very demanding Blaugrana side was almost zero while defensively, he did contribute well. He was taken off due to an injury in the second half.

Carles Alena: 6/10

Starting in the first team against the derby rivals in quite a charged environment can be daunting for any seasoned player, let alone a youth player. He played well for his age with tactical discipline and positional awareness. However, he was overwhelmed by Espanyol's physicality.

Denis Suarez: 6/10

The young Spaniard was given a rare start as the key team players were rested for this cup tie. However, if this performance was a parameter of any sort to break into the first team, he may need more time and effort to nail down a regular starting spot.

Aleix Vidal: 5/10

Vidal came to Barcelona on back of some very interesting and solid performances at Sevilla. He has since only underwhelmed Barca faithful. Today was no different. His chemistry with Roberto appears good but the end products just weren't there.

Lionel Messi: 6.5/10

Messi, quite simply stated, had an underwhelming game. He was quite active in the first half and created good chances for himself as well as his teammates. However, he went AWOL after the missed penalty which hurt Barca's chances of a win.

Substitutes:

Ivan Rakitic: 6/10

Brought on for an injured Paulinho, he did help Barcelona exert more control in the midfield. However, for all his efforts, Espanyol's defence could not be breached.

Luis Suarez: 5.5/10

El Pistolero was introduced in place of Alena as Valverde decided to go for a win. Limited service and a couple of failed attempts at linking up with Messi was all he could manage in his 30 minutes on the pitch.

Rafinha: N/A

He was brought on late in the game and just did not have enough time to affect the outcome.