Barcelona cruised to the Copa del Rey title on Saturday, blasting Athletic Bilbao with four goals in the second half to win 4-0. While the first half saw neither team take charge, despite Barca having chances, it was all Lionel Messi company in the second as the Argentine scored twice.
But how did Barca’s players perform in the match? Here are our player ratings from the game:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen — Goalkeeper
Only had to deal with one shot. A boring night for him, and he’ll take that every single time. Rating: 6
Oscar Mingueza — Defense
Substituted at 87 minutes for Martin Braithwaite. Strong from the young defender. Got forward well, his passing was quite good and he played smart. Timed his tackles well. Rating: 7
Gerard Pique — Defense
Substituted at 82 minutes for Ronald Araujo. A throwback performance from the veteran. I was worried about him versus Inaki Williams, but he held his own, kept him in front of him and let nothing past him. Rating: 7
Clement Lenglet– Defense
Barca’s best central defender, and he showed it again. Strong in the air, did well to recover the ball and was the leader. Rating: 7
Sergino Dest — Defense/Midfield
Substituted at 74 minutes for Sergi Roberto. The American wins his first trophy in Spain, but it wasn’t his best performance. Came off in the second half as he faded as the game went on. Had a lively start but couldn’t get involved much. Rating: 5
Frenkie de Jong — Midfield
Rocked a shot of the post in the opening minutes. Came back by assisting the winner and getting one of his own. Really had his way, and his passing was stellar with two assists. Rating: 7.5
Sergio Busquets — Midfield
Playing like it was 2018. The veteran shielded the ball masterfully, spread it out wide and was a sure thing in his passing. He really helped Barca dominate possession and keep Athletic without much of the ball. Rating: 7
Jordi Alba — Defense/Midfield
Just fantastic. The Spanish international had two assists on the night, setting up Messi and De Jong. Still remains one of the more underrated players in Europe. Just delivered big time again. Rating: 8
Pedri — Midfield
Substituted at 81 minutes for Ilaix Moriba. Had his moments but the youngster didn’t get to make the impact he would have hoped. Looked confident on the ball at times, but in other moments he appeared uncomfortable, especially on the touchline. Rating: 5
Antoine Griezmann — Forward
Substituted at 88 minutes for Ousmane Dembele. Scored the winner and could have had more. Still, he was brought to the club to deliver in big games, and he did that here. A strong showing that will boost his confidence moving forward. Rating: 8
Lionel Messi — Forward
Did it all. Two goals, brilliant passing, masterful finishing and a showing that Barca fans hope will contribute to him potentially re-signing. Another trophy in a legendary career. Rating: 9
Substitute — Sergi Roberto (Dest, 74′)
Off the bench to see out the match and further dominate possession. Rating: 6
Substitute — Ilaix Moriba (Pedri, 81′)
Late sub who wasn’t involved much in attack. Rating: N/A
Substitute — Ronald Araujo (Pique, 82′)
Off the bench and his touch looked a bit off. Didn’t matter though. Rating: N/A
Substitute — Ousmane Dembele (Griezmann, 87′)
A sub to waste time. Rating: N/A
Substitute — Martin Braithwaite (Mingueza, 87′)
A time-wasting sub. Rating: N/A
Coach — Ronald Koeman
First trophy at Barca and a convincing performance. His team responded well and looked dominate. Now, to really secure his spot, he needs to win La Liga. This should only help them believe more. A well-deserved victory Rating: 8
