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| FC Barcelona humiliated Antwerp 5:0 to kickstart their 2023/2024 UEFA Champions League campaign. |
Tonight, FC Barcelona kicked off their 2023/24 Champions League campaign at home against Royal Antwerp. Fresh off a 5-0 thumping of Real Betis, the Catalans welcomed the Belgian champions. It was a great atmosphere within the stadium, with both sets of fans lively and ready.
The first few minutes were somewhat promising for Antwerp. They looked to establish themselves early on, but then the barrage came. Within a space of roughly ten minutes, Barça scored 3 wonderful goals, and from there, it was smooth sailing.
The Blaugrana would go on to win 5-0, duplicating their recent success against Betis.
Xavi’s side has certainly improved in recent matches, but how did the players fare individually? Let’s take a look:
Goalkeeper
Marc-Andr̩ ter Stegen (c) Р6/10
He didn’t do anything in this one. He did have quite a simple save near the end of the first half. He also pulled off an impressive one-on-one stop in the second period, but that one was ruled offside, so it didn’t count. Other than that, unremarkable night for him, as Antwerp never really tested him at all. Therefore, a 6 is all he gets.
Defenders
Jọo Cancelo Р8/10
I hesitate to even categorize him as a defender in this one, as he was inverted into the midfield for much of the night. However, he performed very well. Linking up with Raphinha, Gündoğan, Gavi, and really everyone, he showed his quality once more. Xavi had his role in the squad quite clear from the beginning because Cancelo has put in a good few performances so far.
Jules Kound̩ Р8/10
Koundé is on a path to real stardom if he’s able to keep this up. Once again, he could barely put a foot wrong today. While there wasn’t much defending to do, what little there was was quickly snuffed out. His passing remained excellent yet measured, and he even got forward a few times into dangerous areas.
Andreas Christensen – 7/10
Once again, pretty good from Christensen. Wasn’t asked to do much, and didn’t. His passing was as good as ever, though. He also kept the defensive line high, catching Antwerp offside when they thought they had a good chance. Christensen is about as dependable a backup as you could ask for (assuming Araújo’s health, of course).
Balde – 7/10
I want to say Balde is on the same level as Gavi and Pedri, but I can’t quite get there just yet. While he does a lot of good things – a lot – his final pass and decision-making out on that wing just aren’t quite good enough yet. There were a couple of times he really should’ve done better with the cross or found an open teammate in the box. While this may sound harsh, I’m only focusing on what he has left to improve. We know he’s absolutely quick, decisive defensively, and remains a constant threat down that left side. If he can improve that final touch, the sky’s the limit for him.
Sergi Roberto – 6/10
Came on in the 76th minute for Cancelo. Looked good out there, although not much was asked of him defensively. He had a few nice passes, which was good to see, but not much to write home about in this one.
Midfielders
Frenkie de Jong – 9/10
Frenkie was always extremely talented, but his start to the season has been nothing short of spectacular. In this one, he was as influential as ever, performing very well as the link between defence and attack. He broke through lines, not just with the pass, but with the dribble. He sprung a beautiful line-splitting pass to Félix for the second goal and was surprisingly disciplined positionally. His defence, however, wasn’t much needed in this one. Barça pretty much controlled the last 80 minutes entirely.
Frenkie de Jong ends the first half with a 98% passing accuracy. He completed 51 out of 52 passes including 1 key pass. He also won 100% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels.
Gavi – 8/10
His defence is already well-established, and Gavi has shown early on this season that the rest of his game is also top-notch. In this one, he was solid. He was a key part of the positional play Xavi was trying to put out there, often popping up in different spaces, keeping the defence guessing. He also scored a nice goal for the 4th, absolutely blasting it into the top corner.
GündoÄŸan – 8/10
Another match that showed GündoÄŸan’s experience and savvy. He controlled the game well, linking up with Frenkie, Cancelo,
and Félix often. His line-splitting pass to Félix put him in a great position to score the game’s first. He also made some nice runs and other nice passes that just couldn’t quite result in a score. But overall, very good. His signing this summer (on a free!) was a tremendous decision, especially with Pedri out of the lineup now. He gives the team a bit of that Pedri calm every time he plays.
Oriol Romeu – 7/10
Came on in the 58th minute for Frenkie de Jong. He was what we’ve come to expect from him – a wall defensively and perfectly capable on the ball. He doesn’t lose balls or make risky passes. Good outing from him tonight.
FermÃn López – 6/10
Came on for Gavi in the 58th as well. He did look a bit lost out there at times, but he didn’t play badly. His energy was certainly there, and he does show flashes of something great sometimes. Definitely would like to see him more going forward.
Forwards
Raphinha – 7/10
Good game from him tonight, although not the best he’s played. He did cause trouble for the Belgian defence at times, which kept them on their toes. He had much more freedom to move around, with GündoÄŸan at times hugging the sideline to allow the Brazilian spaces inside. The 3rd goal even came from Raphinha crossing from the left side of the pitch, which he certainly hasn’t done much at Barça. He understood when to move around though, for the most part, which is encouraging.
Jọo F̩lix Р9/10
Freed from his prison at Atlético Madrid, Félix is a changed player. He’s giving his all for Xavi, both on offence and defence. When was the last time you saw him tackling in his half? But apart from that, he’s started brilliantly. In this one, he scored two and assisted a third, all three goals being created by beautiful passing, yes, but also Félix’s movement and runs. The first finish was cool and collected, perfectly slotting it into the bottom corner, and the pass for the second was perfectly weighted. He even got in a header in the second half. Hopefully, this form continues, because if so, Xavi’s got himself a powerful new weapon.
🚨 João Félix: "I'm very happy. I'm enjoying being here. My teammates help me, and I'm here to help them to bring joy to our fans and the club." 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/uPQA7Ntb1p
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 19, 2023
Robert Lewandowski – 8/10
The Polish striker has benefited massively from having Félix and GündoÄŸan playing closer to him recently. In this one, he really should’ve had at least 2 goals, maybe even 3, but he’ll settle for one. He’s dropping back less now and receiving much more steady service. This has helped him out massively. Despite the criticisms he’s faced early on, his numbers look just fine – great, even. Hopefully, this will continue.
Ferran Torres – 7/10
Came on in the 68th minute. The shark looked just as sharp as last time, almost getting a goal on a couple of different occasions. A player just brimming with confidence at the moment, he was good in this match. However, with the game already being a blowout, he didn’t have quite as much impact as he otherwise might have.
Lamine Yamal – 6/10
68th-minute sub as well. Not to be too harsh on the kid, but there were a couple of occasions where he really should have done better. His touch to round the keeper late on was just a tad too hard, and what could’ve been a sixth goal hit the side netting. However, he showed once again that he is very talented. A little more experience, and he’ll be wowing us all again.
While it’s true that the level of competition in this one wasn’t the best, this is the second game in a row with very promising signs from Barcelona. Xavi’s certainly happy with the way this one turned out – now it’s time to see if they can replicate their success against Celta Vigo this weekend.
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