FC Barcelona 1–1 Real Betis Player Ratings: Betis Stun the Blaugrana as the La Liga Title Race Heats Up

While FC Barcelona continue their unbeaten streak, it was a disappointing result as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis. The goalscorers for Barcelona and Betis are Gavi and Natan respectively. Barcelona will be kicking themselves for failing to widen the gap between their rivals Real Madrid, as they currently hold a four-point gap. Real Betis, on the other hand stay in fifth, but the teams around them have games in hand, which puts their position in jeopardy.

Robert Lewandowski made it back into the side after coming on as a substitute in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey. However, it was Raphinha this time, who got the rest, as Ferran Torres started on the left wing. Gavi also made it back into the eleven, thus relegating Fermin Lopez back onto the bench. Real Betis were in a great mood, after defeating their derby rivals, Sevilla, in the last matchday. The loss of Isco was the biggest for the visitors, as they lined up with Giovani Lo Celso as their creator.

While the visitors almost stunned the hosts in the opening minutes, it was Barcelona who took the lead on the seventh minute with a slick passing move from Yamal to cut inside and find Ferran Torres, who released Gavi, who slotted it into the far corner with ease. But, Real Betis hit back quickly, as a bullet header from Natan into the back of the net, thanks to a perfect delivery via a corner kick routine from Giovani Lo Celso.

Barcelona ran Real Betis ragged, attacking their net continuously, with one of the biggest chances being Alex Balde’s cutback from the byline to find Ferran Torres, who fluffed his lines in front of the goal.

While Pellegrini set his side up to chase for the winner, it was the hosts who continued their dominance as they continued from where they left off in the first half, playing imperiously. 

While they came close to restoring the lead on multiple instances, it was the heroics of Real Betis players, especially Adrian, that prevented them from doing so. As the game progressed, Barcelona became more frantic, and it was visible in their actions as they struggled to compose themselves on some occasions. Ultimately, it was a fair result as both sides put up a great fight.

The next fixture for both sides will be their respective first legs of quarterfinals of the european campaigns as Barcelona will be inviting Borussia Dortmund, whereas Real Betis will host Jagiellonia Bialystok to continue their UEFA Conference League journey.

Here are the FC Barcelona vs Real Betis player ratings.

FC Barcelona Player Ratings

GK- Wojciech Szczesny – 6/10

Apart from conceding a goal from the corner, he did not get a lot of chances to showcase his top tier moves. However, he did well to rush out of the box once to sniff out the danger.

LB- Álex Balde – 7/10

He was strong defensively and decent going forward, as he assisted the frontline players on some occasions. He almost got an assist tonight if Torres did not mess up the chance.

CB- Ronald Araujo – 6/10

He was playing a little bit brash tonight, engaging in unnecessary duels and almost could have gotten himself sent off.

CB- Pau Cubarsi – 6.5/10

A solid display from the young Spaniard, as he did well to cut the attacks off cleverly, reading the game well. His passing, as usual was on point and played a key role in the build-up play of his side.

RB- Jules Kounde – 6.5/10

An excellent performance defensively, backing it up with an equally good run forward. He could have gotten his name on the scoresheet, too.

CM- Frenkie de Jong – 6.5/10

He provided balance to the midfield, connecting the defensive structure to the attackers, thus helping his side maintain the rhythm. His defensive presence played a key role in establishing dominance in the central areas.

CM- Pedri – 7/10

Apart from one misplaced pass, he was the heart of the midfield as usual, stringing passes from the deep, assisting the other attackers well during the buildup play.

CM- Gavi- 7.5/10

He marked his 100th LaLiga appearance for Barcelona with a very early goal, which he took extremely well. His relentless energy and pressing also made it hard for the visitors to play.

LW- Ferran Torres – 7/10

Filling in as a deputy for Raphinha, he did an excellent job of assisting Gavi for the opening goal. But he also wasted a very clear chance to restore the lead for his side.

ST- Robert Lewandowski – 5/10

His influence was limited, and he struggled to get on to the end of some decent chances. His involvement in the buildup play was also surprisingly limited tonight.

RW- Lamine Yamal – 8/10

He was at the heart of everything good Barcelona did, playing with such conviction, getting into great positions and trying to pull off some sensational passes. He was pivotal in breaking the deadlock for his side.

SUB- Raphinha – 5.5/10

The Brazilian attacker, who is having one of his best seasons, was given around half an hour to find the winner, but he struggled to do so.

SUB- Eric Garcia – 5.5/10

He entered the pitch to replace Frenkie de Jong to add some energy in the field and reassert dominance.

SUB- Gerard Martin – 6/10

He got run out with a few minutes to go as he came on to replace Alex Balde at the back.

SUB- Fermin Lopez – 6/10

He was brought on late by Hansi Flick, replacing Pedri in the engine room.

Manager- Hansi Flick – 5/10

While his side did everything to score, the lack of clinical nature in the final third ruined the result. Despite making some good substitutions, his side struggled to break Betis down and ultimately, fell short.

Also Read: Aston Villa 2–1 Nottingham Forest Player Ratings: Brave Villans Fight Back into Premier League Top-4 Race with Inspired Performance

Real Betis Player Ratings

GK- Adrian – 7/10

Despite conceding early, he did a fantastic job of keeping the game competitive as he pulled off some excellent saves.

LB- Romain Perraud – 5.5/10

He got turned by Lamine Yamal on multiple occasions and struggled to hold him back. The full-back struggled defensively and struggled to go forward to make things happen

CB- Marc Batra – 6.5/10

Playing against his former side, while there were some moments of lapse in judgment, his overall performance was solid as he looked calm and composed on and off the ball.

CB- Natan – 7/10

Despite getting booked, he played a pivotal role in keeping the pressure on the hosts as his bullet header played a key role in keeping things interesting.

RB- Aitor Ruibal – 5.5/10

The fullback did not have full control on his flank as he struggled defensively and offered nothing going forward.

CM- Johnny Cardoso – 6/10

He struggled to impose himself on the midfield, as his passing looked off and he failed to win the possession back.

CM- Giovani Lo Celso – 7/10

He showcased his playmaking skills as he bagged an assist from a pinpoint corner kick delivery. His overall play provided a spark to the midfield to create chances.

CM- Sergi Altimira – 5/10

While his work rate was commendable, he lacked the flair to provide the decisive impact to change the fate of the game. Fortunately, his struggles in the game ended quickly as he got subbed off after the end of the first half.

LW- Pablo Fornals- 6/10

While he did well to drive the ball forward and show some flashes of creativity, he failed to make a continuous impact.

ST- Cucho Hernández – 6.5/10

Despite some missed chances, the striker had a good presence of mind and was troubling the backline, but not to an extent where they looked worried.

RW- Antony – 6/10

The Brazilian tried to initiate some counter attacks to make things happen, but he struggled to take them forward.

SUB- Chimy Ávila – 5.5/10

He entered the pitch as part of an attacking change to chase a goal.

SUB- William Carvalho – 6/10

The defensive minded, experience midfielder made his way on to the field to give defensive solidarity to his team.

SUB- Jesus Rodriguez – 6/10

 He entered the fray late on to replace Antony out wide to provide a new perspective to the forward line.

SUB- Cédric Bakambu – 5.5/10

The forward entered the pitch as a like-for-like replacement to find the winning goal for his side.

SUB- Diego Llorente – NA

He took the place of Johnny Cardoso, who got a niggle after facing a rash tackle from Eric Garcia

Manager- Manuel Pellegrini – 7/10

His side did well to defend bravely against the league leaders. He showed bravery to chase for the win instead of being satisfied with a draw. He can be proud of his side for the way they performed.

The Sportsdunia Player of the Match goes to FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

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