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Fermin 10, Yamal 10 | Valencia 0-5 Barcelona: Player Ratings
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- Fermin 10, Yamal 10 | Valencia 0-5 Barcelona: Player Ratings
Fermin 10, Yamal 10 | Valencia 0-5 Barcelona: Player Ratings
Barcelona's dominance in La Liga continued at the Mestalla last night as they tore Valencia apart with a commanding performance away from home.
Hansi Flick went all out with his starting lineup , bringing all the stars to the field from the get-go. The result was absolute champagne football which Valencia did not stand a chance against.
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Pedri and Rodri's silky smooth combination in midfield, Fermin Lopez's brilliant performance in the attacking third, and the magic of the front three saw Barcelona coast to the win – one where they could well have had over seven goals to their name.
The result also takes Barcelona to the top of the league standings just weeks into the new season and maintains their perfect record.
Barça Universal brings you the player ratings from Valencia 0-5 Barcelona.
Joan Garcia: 8.5
Despite Barcelona's control and dominance throughout the game at Mestalla Valencia were presented with the odd chance at regular junctures. Joan Garcia was at his best to ensure none entered the back of the net.
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Pushed into difficult, even 1v1 situations by defensive errors, the goalkeeper kept his cool to come up with reflex saves – some of his best of the season so far.
Xavi Espart: 8
Espart has well and truly owned the left-back position so far this season, and it is difficult to even make a case for Joao Cancelo to return as a starter, let alone Alejandro Balde.
Playing on the left side of defence, the La Masia graduate was cool, composed and defensively astute against Valencia. In the attacking half, he constantly overlapped with Anthony Gordon to add numbers and even looked for the occasional defence-splitting pass.
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Gerard Martin: 7
Gerard Martin was solid for most of the night against Los Che, but did make the occasional error in judgment or distribution that handed Valencia chances on goal.
While his performance was not poor, he did look like a relatively weaker link on a night when his teammates were close to perfect.
Pau Cubarsi: 8.5
Cubarsi's confidence in defence hands Barcelona its biggest weapon at the back, and he was again at his best last night with perfect positioning, distribution and decision-making under pressure.
His tackles and interceptions were perfectly timed, and he was even unlucky to be booked in the first half. He built up the base of every Barcelona possession spell and led by example at the back.
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Eric Garcia: 7.5
In his short time on the field, Garcia was solid defensively and even showed signs of improved chemistry with Lamine Yamal. An unfortunate clash with Rodri, however, left him with a nose and eye injury which the club will hope is not too bad.
Rodri: 8.5
Rodri made his first Barcelona start (Photo credits: X/ FC Barcelona)
Starting his first-ever game for Barcelona, Rodri looked defensively cool as a cucumber and handed the team significant composure with defensive transitions.
While he did make one error that led to a direct chance for Valencia, his ability to take the ball off attackers and stay cool under pressure was immense, and his presence enabled Pedri to move to a more advanced midfield role. A stunning debut.
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Pedri: 9
The Canary Islander's sync with Rodri was brilliant, and the duo were simply untouchable in possession spells in the first half.
With the Spain NT captain on the field, Pedri moved into more attacking positions and began linking up with the front-three at the edge of the box, maximising his attacking and creative skillsets.
Pedri with Rodri and Pedri without Rodri, quite clearly, are two very different profiles that Barcelona can expect. Scored a great goal in the second-half which was much deserved.
Fermin Lopez: 10
Barcelona's best player on the night. (Photo credits: X/ FC Barcelona)
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Fermin Lopez was sublime against Valencia, and quite clearly, one of Barcelona's best performers at Mestalla.
The Spanish midfielder was relentless with his attacking passes as he assisted Lamine Yamal with a stunning ball for the opener and then earned another assist that was denied for a minor offside.
Lopez then scored Barcelona's second goal with a superb strike from distance and should well have had another goal to his name in the first half when he dribbled through the defence and hit the woodwork. Racked up a second assist for Raphinha's goal after the break.
Anthony Gordon: 8.5
Gordon's adaptation to Barcelona has been unbelievable, and his performance last night will make fans doubt if he has indeed been at the club for just over a month.
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The Englishman added another assist to his kitty by finding Fermin Lopez for the team's second and was a constant threat on the left-flank. His combination plays with Pedri and Yamal were sensational, and it is safe to say that he will grow to be a special player.
Raphinha: 9
After a blazing start to the season, Raphinha was slightly less involved against Valencia as the hosts employed a heavy block centrally which forced most of Barcelona's creativity to come from wide channels.
His work-rate and combination play, however, were impeccable and he grew as a threat after the break when Valencia began to attack more. Scored off Fermin's assist immediately after the break.
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Lamine Yamal: 10
Yamal netted a sublime brace. (Photo credits: X/ FC Barcelona)
Yamal was as dangerous as he gets against Valencia as he began the night with two perfect finishes, one of which was disallowed for offside.
He was virtually unbeatable on the right wing and was essential in the team's buildup phase regularly. His threat as a creative presence was also visible as always, but it was his accurate finishing and dangerous shots that stole the headlines.
Scored again close to full-time with a wonderfully calm finish to make it five and complete the demolition.
Jules Kounde: 7.5
Kounde entered the game after Eric Garcia's injury and looked shaky at first, but slowly began to grow into the game. Was far better after the break.
Dani Olmo: 8.5
Came on as a second half substitute and walked off with two assists to his name – one to Pedri and one to Yamal.
