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In the final game week of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage, group winners Barcelona topped off a successful group stage with a 2-0 win over Sporting Lisbon. In a pretty meaningless game for the La Liga leaders, Barcelona ripped apart an awe-struck Sporting side. The Catalonians now finish top of Group D, with 14 points to their name. For Sporting, they must now accept life in the Europa League as they finished 3rd in the group.
Here’s how the players fared:
FC Barcelona
Jasper Cillessen: 6.5/10
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The Dutchman literally had nothing to do all game until Bas Dost blasted a shot straight at him in the 62nd minute. All the keeper had to do was stand up straight and be strong to deny his fellow countryman. Apart from that, Cillessen was untried against Sporting.
Nelson Semedo: 6.5/10
The usually offensive full-back seemed to be playing in a reserved manner tonight. Semedo didn’t offer width down the right, neither was he tested in defence. It was only when Messi came on that the 24-year-old felt more inclined to push forward.
Gerard Pique: 6/10
The Spaniard was having a quiet game until Jorge Jesus decided to bring on Sporting’s top scorer, Bas Dost. Pique struggled to cope with the Dutchman’s physicality, as he was afforded several goal scoring opportunities due to the Spaniard’s weaknesses.
Thomas Vermaelen: 6/10
After years of injury problems, it’s now the Belgian’s turn to capitalize on someone else’s injury woes, as he’s now covering for the stricken Samuel Umtitti. Vermaelen won 4 aerial duels and made 1 clearance in a relatively easy game for the 32-year-old.
Lucas Digne: 6/10
As Jordi Alba’s understudy, Digne didn’t put a foot wrong against Sporting. He wasn’t a liability in defence but at the same time, he wasn’t a spark in Barcelona’s attacking play.
Aleix Vidal: 6.5/10
Normally deployed at right-back, Aleix Vidal played on the right of a Barca front three. Subsequently, the 28-year-old was involved in nearly every one of Barcelona’s attacks, completing 1 dribble, creating 1 chance and attempting 2 shots on goal in the process.
Andre Gomes: 6/10
The game seemed to pass the Portuguese international by. He wasn’t influential in attack; neither did he contribute anything in the defensive phase of the play. With Andres Iniesta nearing the end of his career, it’s safe to say Andre Gomes will not be his long-term successor.
Ivan Rakitić: 6.5/10
Barcelona’s midfield general was tasked with both dictating play and creating chances for his teammates. The Croatian completed a staggering 106 passes, created 1 chance and attempted 1 shot on goal.
Denis Suárez: 7/10
First team opportunities are few and far between at Barcelona, but Denis Suárez can rest assured knowing he gave his all in this performance. The 23-year-old mimicked the antics of Messi by the way he burst through the middle on several occasions, often leaving Sporting players in his wake.
Francisco Alcacer: 7.5/10
In the opening 30 minutes, Alcacer was relatively inconspicuous up front, without a creative force behind him, he looked lost. However, the Spaniard was able to score his 5th goal of the season in the 59th minute as he headed home from a Denis Suárez corner. It was also his ever-busy movement that led to Mathieu scoring a decisive own goal.
Luis Suárez: 6/10
Without Lionel Messi in the starting line-up, there was pressure on Suárez to be the Catalonian’s talisman. However, much like his form this season, his performance was nothing to rave home about. Valverde put him out of his misery in the 74th minute by substituting him for Paulinho.
Substitutions
Lionel Messi: 6/10
The 2nd best player in the world came on to inject some much-needed life into the game. His presence alone inspired his teammates to quicken their play and score a vital 2nd.
Paulinho: N/A
The energetic box-to-box midfielder drove through the heart of the Sporting midfield severally in his 16-minute cameo.
Sergio Busquets: N/A
The Spaniard was brought on to just steady the ship for Barcelona and keep possession ticking over.
Sporting Lisbon
Rui Patricio: 7/10
The Portuguese No.1 handled Barcelona’s constant waves of attack comfortably. Only conceding 2 goals at the Camp Nou is an achievement in itself, add to that the 25-year-old’s 3 saves and it embodies a quality performance.
Cristiano Piccini: 6/10
The right-sided centre-back saw himself being overloaded by the two Suárez’s and Alcacer throughout the game. As a result, he could only win 33% of his aerial duels.
Sebastian Coates: 6/10
The ex-Liverpool defender did well to keep his former Liverpool teammate Luis Suárez quiet all game. The two had several physical duels, in which Coates came out on top.
Jeremy Mathieu: 4/10
The former Barcelona man looked nervous as he made his return to the Camp Nou. Alcacer basically ran the Frenchman ragged all game, pulling him in different directions with his exceptional movement. His tiresome night was capped off with an embarrassing own goal in the 91st minute, all but securing the match for his former employers.
Marcos Acuna: 6/10
Acuna was actively involved in the few times Sporting did venture past the halfway line. His attacking intent can be seen through the fact he completed 3 dribbles and made a respectable 25 passes.
Stefan Ristovski: 5.5/10
Tasked with being a right wing-back at the Nou Camp, the Macedonian didn’t venture forward enough. The 25-year-old completed 3 tackles and won 2 aerials nonetheless.
Rodrigo Battaglia: 5.5/10
Battaglia did his best to the press the likes of Gomes, Rakitić & Suárez all game, but his tired legs were visible to all as the game went on. The 26-year-old could complete 25 passes in midfield and make 1 tackle.
William Carvalho: 6.5/10
Every midfield has their conductor and on the biggest stage of them all, William Carvalho showed the world why so many European clubs want his signature. The 25-year-old maintained an 86% pass accuracy, through completing 42 passes.
Bruno Fernandes: 5.5/10
Brilliant in flashes, but for the majority of the game, Fernandes was ineffective. The Portuguese team needed their star winger to make things happen, but instead, he faded into oblivion. Even though he completed 3 successful take-ons, Fernandes was dispossessed an inconvenient 4 times.
Bruno Cesar: 5/10
The 29-year-old tried to be an outlet for Sporting on the left flank, but his clear lack of pace posed minimal threat to Nelson Semedo. Cesar was dispossessed once and didn’t create a single chance in the 90 minutes.
Alan Ruiz: 5.5/10
The isolated forward had to keep coming deep to link up with his midfield as Barcelona’s compactness marked him out of the game. Ruiz could only complete 11 passes throughout the match.
Substitutions
Bas Dost: 5/10
The Dutchman is Sporting’s top scorer this season but when called upon, he couldn’t deliver. He had two good chances in the second half but failed to deliver on both of them.
Gelson Martins: 5.5/10
Brought to be an attacking outlet and aid for Dost, Martins tried to run at Digne in the second half but didn’t have much joy in doing so.
Fabio Coentrao: 5.5/10
The Real Madrid loanee was brought on to give Sporting more numbers in attack, but he couldn’t effectively provide the width needed.
