Player Ratings: Barça vs Las Palmas

Goalkeeper

Ter Stegen: 7/10 - No saves were really necessary from the German in this one. The few dangerous shots Las Palmas had were driven wide and into the side netting. He didn't have to play with his feet much, either. There was a moment where he chewed out the defense for giving up an opportunity, which I like.

Defenders

Cancelo: 7/10 - Wasn't asked to do much defending, and he didn't. Basically a midfielder, and then a winger when certain subs were made. He creates problems for the defense quite often, and he did so tonight. None of his plays resulted in goals, but they were dangerous.

Martínez: 7.5/10 - The pairing of Martínez-Cubarsí was pretty darn good. They're both good in the air and they're both good on the ball. Martínez is a solid player, who won't beat anyone in a footrace but almost never puts himself in that position because of his experience. It helped that Las Palmas were playing with one less player.

Cubarsí : 8/10 - In a lot of ways, it's even more impressive for a young player to be a staunch defender than to be a clever winger. Cubarsí is good in the air, physical, and has good timing. He also has quite the vision and touch on his passes (one to Lewandowski, one to Fermín, and another few that didn't quite make it). He's also quite tough, playing through some bleeding. I'm quite impressed with Pau Cubarsí.

Koundé: 7/10 - Good performance from him. It was a quiet game, though, where he wasn't a protagonist. That's fine, as he wasn't challenged much defensively. There weren't too many actions with him going forward, but they weren't too necessary to create chances.

Midfielders

Gündoğan: 8/10 - The midfield maestro showed poise in this one, despite a few questionable refereeing choices. He didn't lose many balls and was basically the lone source of control in the midfield, which was needed at times. He did make a few mistakes, but he's very good and he continues to show it.

Fermín: 6/10 - A match that, in theory, would've been great for Fermín and his particular skill set. Running in behind the defense with his well-timed forays into the box against the highest line in the league? But it wasn't quite the case, sadly. Things didn't work out for Fermín, although he wasn't bad. He did try a few shots, but couldn't get any on target.

Roberto: 7/10 - The recent play of Sergi Roberto puts Christensen's return on ice for the moment. There's no need to bring him back too soon, as Roberto has played quite well. Sergi played well in this one as well, and allowed Barça to spread the ball wide and not be forced to try down the center.

Romeu: 7/10 - He actually had a few very nice moments, dribbling a few players and managing to keep possession even among three defenders. His cameo was a very good one, and it brought some balance to the midfield.

Forwards

Raphinha: 9/10 - He was a menace in the first half, getting in behind the defense and taking good advantage of the opponent's high line. He scored a goal that was, in my opinion, unjustly called off and also forced Las Palmas's goalkeeper, Álvaro Valles, into a red card. After the break, he finally got his goal. A beautiful looped pass in from Félix to a characteristic run in behind and an even prettier header from the Brazilian's right over the keeper's head. Raphinha played three positions in this one as well and played them all well. While he can be hit-or-miss, he hit today for sure.

Lewandowski :7/10 - He hit the crossbar on a header early on (which was a good job to even get on target, to be fair). Apart from that, he was involved in several dangerous moments in the box - Raphinha's disallowed goal and getting in behind the defense. He couldn't score today, but it wasn't a bad match at all.

Yamal: 6/10 - Didn't really get into the match until after Valles was sent off. However, he did grow into the first half as time went on. A lot of what he tried didn't quite work out; a few errant passes, for example. He went off in the second half, which is good, especially after having played for Spain recently.

Ferran : 7/10 - The shark returned with a nice cameo off the bench. He instantly had a very good chance on goal that was ultimately saved (and was also just barely offside). He played centrally while Raphinha went to the right, and he was good down the middle. As the game neared its end, he had less to do, though.

Félix: 7/10 - He did miss a literally wide open goal that somehow hit the crossbar, and that can't be ignored. He did a great job when he came on, though, instantly providing some spark for the team. He had some of his Félix dribbles and made some nice passes. His assist to Raphinha was picture-perfect as well. Would've been an eight or nine had he not missed a clear goal when Barça desperately needed to go up 2-0.

Roque: 6/10 - While he joined in the dribbling and quick touch passing game for a bit, he ultimately didn't have too much to do and didn't have many dangerous moments. He needs more time, to be sure, and with Lewandowski suspended for the next match, it's probably time to start the youngster.

Three more points, provided by Raphinha, to keep the pressure on Real Madrid. Even without Xavi on the bench, the team was able to pull forward and get the win (even if it should've been 3 or 4 to 0). Next up, however, is PSG and the Champions League. While Las Palmas are a worthy opponent, they're not quite the French team's caliber. Let's see what Barça will look like against them.