Barcelona 3-0 Aston Villa Player Ratings
Aston Villa went to the Camp Nou with three wins from three in the Champions League, but came away with their first defeat of the campaign. The rain and an early error set the tone: Suzuki’s pass into Gomes pressuring the Brazilian into a stray pass that directly led to Lamine Yamal scoring after seven minutes, and Raphinha’s second-half double, the first via a deflection, settled it. Villa had 35% of the ball and 0.72 xG to Barcelona’s 1.96, and Goretzka’s header off the post was the closest they came to a way back in.
It’s now three without a win in all competitions after the Carabao Cup exit at Bournemouth and the draw with Fulham, with Manchester United away on Sunday. Nine points from four games is still a strong return in the Champions League league phase, but this was a reminder of the gap to Europe’s elite.
Zion Suzuki – 5
Probably his weakest performance for Villa, which the downpour no doubt contributed to. A couple of early passes went straight to touch, he then slipped when kicking soon after, and, of course, his ill-advised ball to Gomes in the conditions led to the Barcelona opener.
His performance early doors set up Villa’s vulnerability. Improved and made some key saves throughout the rest of the game, and was wrong-footed by a deflection for the second.
Matty Cash – 6
Had a great chance on the volley to level the game soon after Villa conceded the opener. Didn’t really contribute much else going forward, and didn’t have half the success he had against Manchester City defensively.
Victor Lindelof – 6
A good block on Gordon in the first half. He had a couple of notable clearances, but rarely had much authority when it came to stopping Barcelona’s threat. Was his usual tidy self in possession, with 94.6% pass completion.
Pau Torres – 6
Had a busy night, as Villa were pressed hard. Should he have got in the way of Yamal’s strike for the opener? An unsuccessful block in the second half deflected Raphinha’s goal in to make it 2-0, so Torres was a bit unlucky on the night.
Ian Maatsen – 6
Compromised by an early yellow, he did OK against Yamal for the most part. He and Buendia couldn’t contain the threat down their side, though, and spent much of the night trying to keep their heads above water.
Joao Gomes – 5
Did little to stem the flow of Barcelona attacks when Villa needed more of a foothold in midfield, although he got four tackles in. Only touched it 25 times, and one of those was a poor assist for Yamal’s opener.
Disappointing, as it’s a position in the team that needs to perform to have a chance against the likes of Barcelona, especially away from home.
Boubacar Kamara – 6
Was on the back foot and overrun at times as Villa’s midfield struggled with the movement of the opposition, especially the buzzing runs of Fermin. Still, he got four tackles and four interceptions in, which at least put the brakes on Barca.
John McGinn – 5
A rare game where he had little influence and was bypassed by Barca. He even came off second best in physical duels with both Cancelo and, most dramatically, Fermin Lopez.
Johan Manzambi – 5
Question marks about his stamina continue, as he was hooked as part of Emery’s triple substitution just after the hour mark. He had a couple of efforts, one forcing a routine save, while he fluffed the connection on what was one of Villa’s best chances.
Ultimately, though, with only 21 touches, he didn’t make much impression on the game. These are the games the very best need to turn up in and make a mark, and Manzambi showed he’s not quite there yet.
Emiliano Buendia – 5
It was difficult to see what Buendia was supposed to contribute. He didn’t really help Villa get a foothold going forward, and despite five tackles, he struggled to help Maatsen out in any convincing manner. His yellow card didn’t help. With only 22 touches, the game passed him by a bit.
Nicolas Jackson – 6
Had a tough night, with his frustration exacerbating an incident with Cubarsi. He got caught up in it rather than leaving it and supporting a Villa counter-attack. In the first half, though, his presence gave Barcelona something to think about.
Off the Bench
Leon Goretzka – 6 (on for Manzambi, 62′)
A header that glanced against the post was his main contribution. Only 12 touches, but tidy with most of his passing. Hopefully he’ll start to get up to speed.
Ibrahim Mbaye – 6 (on for Buendia, 62′)
Was game, forced a save and got some crosses in when he came on, but so far his end product doesn’t match his price tag.
Ross Barkley – 5 (on for Gomes, 62′)
Blazed over late on, but was disappointing, offering very little to help Villa get back in the game.
Alysson – 6 (on for McGinn, 77′)
Got in their faces, showed spirit and had a go. Had more touches than Goretzka or Barkley in half the time. Perhaps should have come on earlier.
Tammy Abraham – 4 (on for Jackson, 77′)
Little impact and only had three touches.
Man of the Match
Boubacar Kamara
There were no real standouts, so this is a bit of a token pick for his defensive work.
Manager
Unai Emery – 6
Whatever he had planned was undone by the gift-wrapped early goal. Did he factor in the rain? Villa were their own worst enemy at times, trying to play out against an intense Barca press. He’ll take heart from the overall application in the first half, but will know there is work to be done considering their lack of resistance in the second.
UTV.
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Aston Villa Player Ratings - The Villan Tifo
Aston Villa Player Ratings - The Villan Tifo