Barcelona 5-0 Young Boys Player Ratings: Flick’s men dismantle the Swiss minnows

Barcelona produced an emphatic 5-0 win against Young Boys after thrashing the Swiss minnows in the Champions League group stage game. The Catalans were under pressure following the defeat against Monaco in the opening game coupled with their recent setback against Osasuna in La Liga, but they bounced back in style with a ruthless performance.

Robert Lewandowski put the hosts ahead after poking home Raphina’s pass before the Brazilian scored one for himself in the 34th minute. Inigo Martinez headed home to triple the head three minutes later and Lewandowski scored his second of the night with a powerful header shortly after the break. A dreadful own goal from Mohamed Camara summed up the Swiss side’s miserable evening.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs Young Boys

Goalkeeper

Inaki Pena: 7/10 The Spaniard almost had a laid-back evening since Young Boys hardly troubled him. A goal-line clearance from Casado and an off-side call ensured him a clean sheet.

Defenders

Alejandro Balde: 7/10 Stuttered at the start but grew into the game considerably. Often outsmarted his marker Monteiro with his trickery and created a lot of threat with his crossing. A morale-boosting performance

Inigo Martinez: 9/10 Showed why his absence proved detrimental in the Villarreal defeat with an excellent display. Marshalled the backline deftly and scored a thumping header to mark his first goal in European competitions

Pau Cubarsi: 9/10 – A mind-blowing performance from the 17-year-old in the competition which put him on the map last season. Had the most touches (101) in the game and completed 6 long balls and 20 passes into the final third. Cubarsi’s composure, vision and passing skills are too good for his age.

Jules Kounde: 8/10 – A commanding performance from the French defender, who has completely transformed into the beast of a full-back from the centre-back position

Midfielders

Pedri: 9/10 – Pedri put in a midfield masterclass, which isn’t a surprise at all. His dribbling, trickery and passing with great panache were a treat to the fans. Completed 2/3 dribbles, 15 passes into the final third and created 1 big chance. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call him one of the best central midfielders in Europe at the moment.

Marc Casado: 9/10 – Might be overshadowed by Pedri, but Casado’s growing influence on the team was spot on again. Continued his incredible consistency with yet another incredible display. Marshalled the midfield effortlessly and his valiant defensive efforts also ensured his side a clean sheet

Raphinha: 9/10 – Another day, another match-winning display from Raphinha, who has arguably become a pivotal player in the entire Barca squad. His resurgence this season has been nothing sort of remarkable. The Brazilian is a complete package with his playmaking, crossing, scoring and working his socks off for the entire game. His assist to Lewy almost looked like telepathic.

Attackers

Lamine Yamal: 9/10 – Left the Young Boys players scratching their heads with his wizardry on the ball. Another top-class performance to showcase his world-class status

Ferran Torres: 6/10 – Would be disappointed not to throw a hat in the goal-fest and his struggle continues

Robert Lewandowski: 9/10 – Barca’s goal machine showed why he is still the best in the business even in his waning years. A close-range finish for the first strike and a neat header for the second, proving his striker instincts still remain sharp. Could have added two more goals.

Substitutes

Ansu Fati: 4/10 – Couldn’t make his presence felt in the limited minutes but should have gained confidence

Frenkie de Jong 4/10 – Made a much-anticipated comeback from a long injury lay-off and the fans also cheered him.

Hector Fort: N/A

Pau Victor: N/A

Andres Cuenca: N/A

Manager

Hansi Flick: 9/10 – Flick deployed his best eleven and the players in return didn’t let him down, wreaking havoc on the Swiss underdogs. The German came under scrutiny for the setback against Monaco, but he showed everyone today why his side can’t be taken for granted.

Also Read: Slovan Bratislava 0-4 Manchester City: Player ratings as Gundogan and Foden star in routine victory for the Sky Blues

Young Boys Player Ratings vs Barcelona

Goalkeeper

Marvin Keller: Was completely hapless against the incessant Barcelona attack.

Defenders

Jaouen Hadjam: 5/10: Relatively decent and initiated a move that led to Young Boys’ only promising move of the match.

Tanguy Zoukrou: 5/10 A slightly decent performance compared to other defenders. Made a few recoveries in the backline

Mohamed Camara: 3/10 – Was caught ball-watching for Barca’s first goal when he should have intercepted Raphinha’s pass. Scored an own goal to cap off a miserable evening

Lewin Blum: 4/10 – Hardly made an impact on the attacking front

Midfielders

Sandro Lauper: 4/10 – Involved in a few defensive actions but still couldn’t prevent Barca’s carnage.

Kastriot Emiri: 3/10 – Was left dumbfounded by Pedri’s trickery

Filip Ugrinic: Failed to make an impact and was booked for fouling Lamal out of frustration.

Attackers

Ebrima Colley: Squandered what was their only presentable opportunity in the game. His goal drought since February continues

Joel Monteiro: Initially looked good but regressed as the game wore on. Failed in his battle with Balde.

Cedric Itten: Looked a fish out of water against Barca’s aggressive high-line. Also lacked enough service from his team-mates

Substitutes

Cheikh Niasse: 5/10 – Hit the woodwork during the final quarter

Lukasz Lakomy: N/A

Alan Virginius: N/A

Zachary Athekame: N/A

Manager

Patrick Rahmen: 2/10 – Rahmen could do nothing but see his side hammered by the Catalan giants. Barca proved too good for the Swiss side, whose worrying form across all competitions continues.

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