Player Ratings from a 5-0 Champions League kickoff win

Forwards

Raphinha – 7/10

Good game from him tonight, although not the best he’s played. He did cause trouble for the Belgian defense at times, which kept them on their toes. He had much more freedom to move around, with Gündoğan 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.

João Félix – 9/10

Freed from his prison at Atlético Madrid, Félix is a changed player. He’s giving his all for Xavi, both on offense and defense. When was the last time you saw him tackling in his own 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.

Robert Lewandowski – 8/10

The Polish striker has benefited massively from having Félix and Gündoğan 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 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.