Barcelona player ratings vs Las Palmas:
Barcelona player ratings vs Las Palmas:
Not even Lamine Yamal can save Barca! Robert Lewandowski completely shut down as Raphinha heroics count for nothing in damaging La Liga loss
The Brazilian was the home side's biggest threat but he couldn't do it alone as their grip on first place loosened
Hansi Flick will have some strong words for his Barcelona players after their miserable performance in a surprise 2-1 loss at home to Las Palmas on Saturday. The Catalan side have taken just one point from their last three La Liga matches, giving Real Madrid, who are four points behind with two games in hand, a big helping hand in the title race.
Relegation candidates Las Palmas made clear they would be a huge threat right from the beginning as they exploited Barca's high back-line, but they squandered their early opportunities and the hosts soon took hold of the game. Flick's side were lacking a cutting edge, as they managed to work the ball into dangerous spaces but seemed too cumbersome to blast it home.
They came close to stealing the lead with the best chance of the first-half in stoppage time when Raphinha was unleashed from the halfway line. He left Las Palmas' defenders flapping around, but his effort hit the bar.
The second-half started much like the first, except this time Las Palmas were able to right their earlier wrongs as they charged forward on the counter-attack before Sandro Ramirez lashed beyond Inaki Pena.
By the 56th minute, Flick had made five substitutions - one due to injury - to change the tempo of Barca's attack and five minutes later his side were level when Pedri found Raphinha for the Brazilian to lash in from outside the box.
Just as it appeared Barca had the game under control, Las Palmas burst forward when Javi Munoz's fantastic pass bounced behind the defence for Fabio Silva to run onto and apply the finish. Try as they might, Barca simply couldn't find the second equaliser.
They came close with a fine Raphinha free-kick and a shot from Lewandowski deep in stoppage time, but ex-Barca goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and the yellow wall in front of him were strong enough to keep them out.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys...
Goalkeeper & Defence
Inaki Pena (6/10):
Pulled off one good save but was beaten by two fine goals.
Jules Kounde (5/10):
Just looked slow and off the pace of the game.
Pau Cubarsi (7/10):
Strong presence in the air at both ends of the pitch.
Inigo Martinez (6/10):
A stable presence alongside Cubarsi despite the changes around him.
Alejandro Balde (N/A):
Looked shaky early on as Las Palmas targeted his side, but he had to be stretchered off after 25 minutes with an injury.
Midfield
Gavi (6/10):
Won the ball on a few occasions and had some decent passes but went off early in the second half.
Pedri (7/10):
Excellent movement through the middle and found Raphinha for the equaliser.
Pablo Torre (4/10):
Too many misplaced passes and didn't add enough. Replaced by Yamal at half-time.
Attack
Raphinha (8/10):
Barca's biggest threat as they struggled to open up the defence. Picked the perfect spot to send the ball into the bottom corner and hit the woodwork later.
Robert Lewandowski (5/10):
Had no space to work with and tried his best to link up but mostly gave the ball away. Had a great chance to equalise in the dying minutes but was blocked.
Fermin Lopez (4/10):
A really rough performance, starting with a swipe at fresh air as he attempted a shot. His decision-making was poor, too, and he took too much time on the ball. Subbed before the hour mark.
Subs & Manager
Gerard Martin (5/10):
Couldn't provide enough going forward after replacing Balde and had a tough time defensively due to Las Palmas' pace.
Lamine Yamal (6/10):
Helped provide more of a threat on the right but Las Palmas' tight defence made it tough for him.
Ferran Torres (6/10):
Provided an obvious lift to the Barca attack with his quick actions.
Frenkie de Jong (6/10):
Stabilised the way his team moved the ball up field and dug in to frequently win possession, too.
Hector Fort (4/10):
An abysmal attempt to stop Silva as Las Palmas went 2-1 up.
Pau Victor (N/A):
Stoppage-time addition.
Hansi Flick (4/10):
His team had 70 per cent possession and 24 attempts in total but they simply couldn't cut through their feisty opponents. Too many players were subpar and others cut completely out of the game.
