Barcelona v Chelsea player ratings
Chelsea impressed despite going out of the Champions League against Barcelona as they paid the price for some sloppy defending. Here’s how we rated each Blues player in the 3-0 second-leg defeat in the Nou Camp.
Thibaut Courtois: 5
Culpable for the first goal and to blame for Lionel Messi’s second which also went through his legs, Courtois had a night to forget. He almost gifted Luis Suarez a goal with a poor kick but made amends by saving the striker’s shot and also made a couple of other decent saves.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6
Steady enough but gave the ball away for the third goal, and, like his defensive colleagues – and the rest of the footballing world – had no answer to Messi when the Argentine had any sort of space.
Andreas Christensen: 8
Defended with great composure and awareness and this time there were no shocking lapses, something that has marred his efforts in recent weeks.
Antonio Rudiger: 8
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Fully justified manager Antonio Conte’s decision to leave out Gary Cahill with a commanding defensive showing in the face of the sternest of tests and was desperately unfortunate not to score with a late header that bounced down off the bar.
Victor Moses: 5
Moses made countless promising runs and regularly got in dangerous areas but invariably failed to find a telling pass, showing a lack of quality at the vital moment.
N’Golo Kante: 9
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An imperious performance from a player who Chelsea miss more than anyone when he does not play. Barely wasted a pass, won possession at will and bossed the midfield throughout. The only blemish was when Kante fluffed a great chance in the first half, dragging his shot across goal after a superb run.
Cesc Fabregas: 5
Had a below-par first half, uncharacteristically wasting possession and crucially being robbed for the demoralising second goal. He settled after the interval as Chelsea dominated, showing his range of passing and class.
Marcos Alonso: 8
A lung-busting performance from Alonso, who could have won a penalty and was a fraction away from scoring with a delightful free-kick. He was good in tight areas, used the ball well and always provided an outlet.
Willian: 9
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Brilliant from start to finish, Willian was every bit as good as Messi, if not better. The Brazilian was a threat running from his own half, running through the middle and attacking from the edge of the box.
Eden Hazard: 6
Started impressively but was comprehensively outshone by Willian throughout and struggled to dictate play. He made a couple of surging runs but was never an influential figure.
Oliver Giroud: 6
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Selected for his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play, Giroud’s passing was too often wayward and Barcelona cleverly exaggerated any aerial contact to nullify his threat. He provided a vital focal point which was key to a fine team display but needed to be flawless when the ball was played into him – and he was not.
Davide Zappacosta: 6
Zappacosta looked a more likely provider of a goal than Moses, but was not afforded the same space as the man he replaced and was often crowded out.
Alvaro Morata: 5
The Spaniard barely saw the ball after coming on, with Barca dropping deep and denying him space in behind.
Pedro: 6
Pedro will at least have have enjoyed his cameo appearance on his return to the Nou Camp, where he received a wonderful reception but, with the game effectively over by the time he appeared on 82 minutes, he could not inspire a miraculous comeback.
