Barcelona maintained their perfect start to La Liga with a sixth straight win as Luis Suarez and two own goals secured a 3-0 win at Girona on Saturday.
Here, we rate the players from both sides.
Iraizoz 6 – Made some good saves but ruined all his otherwise solid work with a bad mistake for Barca’s second goal, turning Vidal’s cross into his own goal.
Ramalho 5 – Some poor heavy touches and generally below the pace of the game.
Espinosa 6 – Tried to impose authority in the centre of defence and showed his long-range passing skills.
Juanpe 6 – Had his hands full with Suarez but, with one exception, did enough to keep the Uruguayan at bay.
Portu 6 – Showed his pace down the right wing and although he rarely got the better of Alba, Girona’s best two chances came from his crosses.
Maffeo 7 – Essentially had one job: following Messi wherever he went. Stuck to his task diligently and succeeded in limiting the Argentine’s influence.
Pons 6 – Made some nice passes and breaks in an attempt to break between Barca’s midfield and defence.
Garcia 6 – Served as the playmaker for Girona from his position in midfield but was too deep to pose any threat.
Aday 5 – Plenty of attacking purpose down the left but had a tough game defensively, scoring a clumsy own goal.
Luiz 6 – Girona’s most technically accomplished performer in his attacking midfield role, and forced a decent early save from ter Stegen, but faded.
Olunga 5 – Powerful in the air, often getting the better of Umtiti in that respect, but lacked finesse around the box and was replaced.
Girona’s defender Juanpe Ramirez (C)
Kayode 5 – Came on for Olunga in attack but failed to impress.
Mojica 6 – Decent from the bench in place of Aday – maybe should have started.
Moreno – Too little time to make an impact.
Girona’s Bernardo Espinosa (R)
Ter Stegen 6 – Made one good early stop from Luis but was otherwise largely uninvolved.
Roberto 7 – Mr Versatility returned to his right-back slot and delivered a typically enthusiastic performance, including a great assist for Suarez.
Mascherano 6 – A rare start for the veteran Argentine, who defended well but was occasionally poor in his distribution.
Umtiti 6 – Looked a little shaken by the aerial power of Olunga at the start but gradually recovered his poise.
Alba 8 – Won his personal battle with Portu and was always an attacking threat, including the shot which led to the own goal opener.
Paulinho 5 – Some powerful forward runs but minimal influence in the construction of play and the first man to be substituted.
Rakitic 7 – Performed in the deep role usually occupied by Sergio Busquets and carried out the task well, looking very comfortable.
Iniesta 6 – Some touches of class in a congested midfield, but couldn’t offer penetration in and around the penalty area.
Vidal 7 – Back in favour on the right of attack and did well, regularly stretching Girona’s defence with his direct running and conjuring a cheeky back heel for the second goal.
Messi 6 – Unusually quiet due to the limpet-like attentions of Maffeo, restricted to easily his most subdued game of the season.
Suarez 7 – Back in the goals after a poor run of form and was a sharp, determined threat throughout the game.
Barcelona’s players celebrate
Busquets 6 – Came on from the bench and was his usual authoritative self.
Denis 6 – Some nice touches in a cameo appearance from the bench.
Gomes 5 – Little impact after coming on for Vidal near the end.
Luis Suarez
