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Jan 11, 2015 at 8pm UK
 
AM

3-1

Neymar (12'), Suarez (35'), Messi (87')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Mandzukic (57' pen.)

Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Atletico Madrid

:Headline: Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Atletico Madrid: ID:198396: from db_amp
Sports Mole analyses how each individual player performed during Barcelona's 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Barcelona got revenge on Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 win over the Spanish champions on Sunday evening.

Atletico secured the La Liga title at the Camp Nou last season, but trailed 2-0 at the break this time around following goals from Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Mario Mandzukic had one back from the spot after 57 minutes, but the home side made sure of the points late on courtesy of Lionel Messi.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each individual player performed in Barcelona.


BARCELONA

Goal

Claudio Bravo: Had a fairly routine night between the sticks. Was not really tested in terms of shots, but did look a little shaky when coming for crosses. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Alves: Usually such a threat in the final third, but the Brazilian was more reserved against Atletico. Frustrated Arda Turan with a strong defensive performance. (7/10)

Gerard Pique: Finally starting to regain his best form following a difficult start to the season. Stood up to the physical challenge provided by Mandzukic. (7/10)

Javier Mascherano: Calm and composed at the heart of the defence. Never looked in danger and helped his side build from the back whenever possible. (7/10)

Jordi Alba: Brought a fine save from Miguel Moya during an energetic first period. However, the left-back was more reserved in the second half as he stuck to his defensive duties. (7/10)

Midfield

Sergio Busquets: Guilty of some poor play-acting in the first period, but the midfielder was excellent in the middle of the park. Made a number of crucial challenges. (7/10)

Andres Iniesta: So often the catalyst for Barca, but the Spaniard was slightly overshadowed here. Tidy enough in possession, but did not offer too much in the final third. (6/10)

Ivan Rakitic: Has been left out of the big matches thus far this season, but the Croatian responded with a big performance here. Caused concern with his deep runs into the box. (7/10)

Attack

Neymar: Opened the scoring with a close-range finish after 12 minutes, but missed a golden chance 12 minutes later. Caused Atletico all sorts of problems with his pace in wide areas. (8/10)

Luis Suarez: Starting to find his feet at the Camp Nou. Set up Neymar for the first goal before netting the second. Atletico could not live with the guile of the summer arrival. (9/10)

Lionel Messi: Man-of-the-match performance from the Argentine, who played his part in the first two goals before scoring the third. Did not look a player that wants to leave. (9/10)

Substitutes

Rafinha: Did not enter until the 89th minute, but made a contribution late on - hooking clear inside his own box following a dangerous Atletico free kick. (6/10)

Pedro: Only given the final 60 seconds. (5/10)


ATLETICO

Goal

Miguel Moya: Made some really smart saves throughout the contest, but did not really command his box. Needed a lot more protection from his usually-reliable defence. (6/10)

Defence

Juanfran: So often the instigator of attacks for Atletico, but the Spaniard struggled to make his mark due to the presence of Barcelona's interchanging front three. (6/10)

Diego Godin: Quite comfortably his side's best defender on the night. Was aerially dominant and came close to scoring in the second period with a powerful header. (7/10)

Jose Gimenez: Has been excellent in recent weeks, but the 19-year-old struggled here. On more than one occasion the centre-back was caught out in a defensive area. (6/10)

Jesus Gamez: Was a surprise starter at left-back and the Spaniard had bit of a horror evening. Won his side's penalty, but struggled defensively until being replaced late on. (5/10)

Midfield

Gabi: No real surprise that the Atletico skipper was the first player to be replaced in the second period. Not his best performance in an Atletico shirt. (5/10)

Koke: Has been his side's most creative player this season, but the Spaniard struggled to make his mark here against a strong and dominant Barcelona midfield. (6/10)

Tiago: As expected, the Portuguese was classy in possession of the ball, but his overall contribution was limited. Looked a little leggy in the latter stages. (6/10)

Attack

Arda Turan: There was some confusion as to where the Turkish international was actually playing as he struggled to make his mark. Was too wide on a number of occasions. (6/10)

Mario Mandzukic: Showed his passion in the first period and deserved his goal. Lacked support for long spells, but never stopped working in attacking areas. (7/10)

Antoine Griezmann: Has been in excellent form in recent weeks, but the Frenchman could not continue his scoring run. Plenty of desire, but lacked that end product. (6/10)

Substitutes

Fernando Torres: Made a positive impression on his second Atletico league debut. Full of energy in the final third and certainly made his team more dangerous. (6/10)

Raul Garcia: Only real contribution came in an off-the-ball incident with Neymar. Was not really given enough time to seriously influence the result. (5/10)

Guilherme Siqueira: Replaced Gamez after 83 minutes, but saw little of the ball. (5/10)


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