CDM Sergio Busquets – 4.5
So often it’s easy to discuss how much Busquets does behind the scenes. He doesn’t always take over games, but he is a key man. Against Madrid, he was far quieter than his usual quiet self, unable to win the midfield battle against the incredible Luka Modric and the impressive Mateo Kovacic. We’ve seen better from the No. 5.
CM Ivan Rakitic – 5.5
The best of the central crew. While that isn’t saying much, Rakitic gave the usual high effort performance while giving Barca a slight boost in attack. When they got forward, which was often despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise, the Croatian was often involved, and found himself in some good positions. Unfortunately, he never finished, but he wasn’t alone.
CM Andre Gomes – 2
There were times last season where it could be argued that Gomes was receiving excessive criticism. Some performances were good, and he showed flashes of his form from Euro 2016. Against Madrid, no amount of criticism could be excessive. He was invisible, and the times he happened to pop up, he’d give the ball away or do nothing of note. Sell.