Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Levante: Mojo Rediscovered, Quintet of 8+ Performances

The Catalans were vastly superior and crucially returned to winning ways in La Liga.

Barcelona’s victory against Levante was a collective effort. | Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Barcelona took full advantage of Real Madrid’s Saturday night slip-up to return to the top of La Liga, comfortably beating Levante 3–0 at Camp Nou.

Hansi Flick’s side dominated every aspect of the contest from the off and goals from Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong essentially put the game on ice by the halftime intermission.

Barcelona’s domination continued after the interval and although they took their foot off the accelerator, there was still a highlight moment to behold as Fermín López scored a screamer with just under 10 minutes remaining.

After two successive defeats, this was an important and timely response from Flick’s Barcelona, who now have a one-point advantage after Osasuna’s surprise win over Real Madrid.

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The One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Pedri played his first minutes since suffering an injury on Jan. 21. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Barcelona’s victory was basically clinched the moment Marc Bernal scored the opener four minutes in. But the loudest cheer of the night came when Pedri , who has missed the club’s last seven games, entered the contest—unquestionably the biggest positive Barça will take from the day.

The Spaniard was returning having suffered his second significant hamstring injury of the season, and it’s no coincidence that Barcelona’s drop in results have come during his absence.

Pedri’s ability on the ball speaks for itself, but his dictating of tempo and understanding of the game is what Barcelona have sorely missed. With his return in the midfield of the park, the end-to-end "basketball games” Barça had grown used to playing in recent weeks are likely to come to an end.

Barcelona remain a flawed side with evident weaknesses, but Pedri’s presence masks some of the issues. Other players may be more decisive, but the No. 8 is arguably the most important piece for Flick’s machine to fire on all cylinders. With Pedri back, Barcelona’s silverware hopes increase substantially.

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Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Levante (4-2-3-1)

Marc Bernal has scored in consecutive home games. | Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Joan García—8.1: Made two crucial early saves that kept the game level and then enjoyed the rest of the action with a front row seat.

RB: Jules Koundé—7.5: Stifled Levante’s left with ease and complemented Yamal nicely in attack. A solid outing.

CB: Eric García—8.2: A much needed bounce back performance from García, who commanded the backline and handled his duties in possession well.

CB: Gerard Martín—6.9: Had a couple of clumsy moments that resulted in Levante’s most dangerous actions of the game. Luckily, García was on hand to preserve Barça’s clean sheet.

LB: João Cancelo—8.5: The Portuguese dazzled with classy step overs, tormenting Jeremy Toljan down the wing. A stunning display was rewarded with an assist and he was clearly the best player on the pitch.

CM: Marc Bernal—8.4: Continues to play with a maturity and poise in midfield that makes you forget he’s still just 18. Back among the goals for a second straight home game, he made his best Pedri impression overall.

CM: Frenkie de Jong—8.8: Another effortless performance from the Dutchman, particularly in transitions. Took his first goal of the season nicely.

RW: Lamine Yamal—7.9: The teen superstar could perhaps be accused of over confidence and carelessness, but he showed glimpses of his quality.

AM: Dani Olmo—6.9: Congested central areas saw Barcelona manufacture the bulk of their attacks down the flanks, reducing Olmo’s influence.

LW: Raphinha—7.9: Was outshone by the overlapping Cancelo on occasions but pressed relentlessly. A few noteworthy defensive interventions will have left Flick purring.

ST: Robert Lewandowski—6.9: Missed a clear chance early in the game and that set the tone of the afternoon for the Pole.

SUB: Fermín López (66’ for Olmo)—7.3: Fermín’s thumping strike from distance added a brilliant exclamation mark to Barça’s victory.

SUB: Pedri (66’ for Bernal)—6.5: Didn’t need to be at his brilliant best, and the important thing was getting minutes under Pedri’s belt.

SUB: Ferran Torres (66’ for Lewandowski)—6.1: Struggled to get involved after replacing Lewandowski and only had one half chance to try and take advantage of.

SUB: Ronald Araujo (88’ for Martín)—N/A

SUB: Roony Bardghji (88’ for Yamal)—N/A

Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, Tommy Marques, Marcus Rashford.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

João Cancelo could do no wrong against Levante. | Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

• João Cancelo had failed to earn Flick’s trust since his January arrival, featuring sporadically without making a tangible impact. That all changed against Levante, as the Portuguese joyfully dominated down the left wing, giving the German boss something to think about given Alejandro Balde’s recent struggles.
• Marc Bernal gets better and better with every passing game. The teenager looks to be growing in confidence with his ACL injury disappearing in the rearview mirror. His role might diminish slightly with Pedri back, but fellow La Masia graduate Marc Casadó could find it hard to get regular minutes the rest of the season and beyond.
• Dani Olmo and Fermín López had been included together in the XI in each of the last four games. That changed today and, with Pedri back in the fold, it seems the pair of attacking midfielders are back to fighting each other for the starting No. 10 job. As has been throughout much of their previous individual battle, the substitute was better than the starter against Levante.

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The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Dominant Effort

Fermín López scored with a rocket of a hit. | Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

• Barcelona dominated proceedings with 73% possession, completing 507 more passes than their rivals on Sunday.
• Although Barcelona slightly outperformed their 2.92 xG, it could’ve been a loftier victory if they hadn’t misses six big chances. Something to improve on.
• Levante could only muster two shots on goal all game, with both of them happening inside the opening 15 minutes.

Statistic	Barcelona	Levante
Possession	73%	27%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.92	0.53
Total Shots	22	5
Shots on Target	9	2
Big Chances	8	1
Passing Accuracy	95%	79%
Fouls Committed	12	10
Corners	13	6

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