Approved and failed in Barcelona: Aubameyang and Pedri festival in Mestalla

Ter Stegen: Great match for the German goalkeeper, with several highly commendable interventions, especially one that stopped a header on the same goal line. In Soler’s goal, he was very close to touching the ball, but the power with which the Valencian player finished off was tremendous. This time he was more attentive when it came to corner kicks. As always, successful with the ball at his feet.

Dest: Good match for the American, who clearly went from less to more. He started having a lot of problems stopping Bryan Gil and let alone getting the ball from the right wing, but little by little he gained confidence, although he never found Dembélé on his wing. He completed the best game of his this season.

Araújo: Superlative. The Uruguayan central defender is on his way to being the new Puyol. He played hampered by a sore left soleus muscle, but once he got the boots on, there was no stopping him. Absolute leader in defense, total owner of the area and resolute cheerleader in defense, he was the retaining wall where the team held on when the rival attacked the most. The renewal of it has become a matter of state.

Eric: He only played the first part, showing all the virtues that he already showed against Napoli. He overflowed capacity for anticipation and tactical intelligence, being also very neat in the exit of the ball. As a precaution, Xavi decided to leave him on the bench and bring on Mingueza.

Alba: Great match ‘cum laude’ from the left side, which showed that experience is a degree in this type of match. And not only because he was the absolute protagonist in two of the four goals, but because he knew how to stop most of his actions on the wing, helped by a Gavi who sacrificed a lot in defensive tasks. He saw a yellow card, so he will not be able to play on Sunday against Athletic.

Sergio Busquets: The one from Badia regained ownership by directly taking out the top hat and offering his best repertoire of associative play and passes between the lines. A match to record and review in football schools. Very attentive also to avoid the rival’s transitions.

Frenkie: He was very active and dynamic in the first part, to the point of repeatedly looking for his tickets inside the area. In one of them, he took advantage of a marker play between Alba and Dembélé to put the ball into the back of the net. In the second part he seemed more tired and less participative and Xavi decided to rest him.

Gavi: Spectacular. A real crack and he’s only 17 years old. He does everything well and also puts claw and drive into each action, as if it were the last of his life. He gave a superb assist to Aubameyang to make it 0-3. This time he played inside left, a position more in keeping with his virtues. He helped Alba a lot in defense.

Dembele: Irregular. He barely received balls judiciously, having to look for the beans from the right wing. Of course, the pass he gave in Barcelona’s second goal is of unquestionable quality, at the first touch and with pinpoint precision. In the second half he went to the left and disappeared from the game, with a minimal contribution. He did not take advantage of the spaces left by Valencia.

Aubameyang: He debuted his goalscoring account in Barcelona and he also did it with a double, which could even have been a hat trick if we get a little rigorous, since in Pedri’s goal, the shot is slightly deflected by the back of the Gabonese to end up at the bottom of the net. In any case, a great game for the former Arsenal player, with a masterful goal, taking advantage of a great assist from Alba, to open the scoring and then another killer one, after a layup from Gavi. He was close to scoring another, to a shot from Ferran, who did not touch by millimeters. In the second part he lowered the piston a little.

Ferran: He didn’t score, but his first half was simply exemplary. Always offering himself on the left wing and providing solutions, he was very active and dynamic, despite the continuous boos in the stands, which did not forget his Valencian past. In the second half he did not participate as much, but he helped the team withstand the Valencian downpour and give the team a little air. He tried little on this occasion the shot on goal.

The changes

Mingueza: He jumped onto the field after the break to position himself as left central. He more than complied, although he ate Soler’s marking on Valencia’s corner kick goal.

Pedri: The canary is a player of a stratospheric level. The Golden Boy is clearly too small for him. He came out in the 59th minute, when Mestalla was pushing harder, after Soler’s goal, and the rival was beginning to believe it, and he knew how to put the pause and the criteria to kill the game. In addition, he finished off his performance with a great goal outside the area, with the help of Aubameyang who deflected the shot a little. Simply great.

Nico: Good minutes from this young talent, who knew how to put a bit of physicality and intensity in midfield.

Adam: He left in the 80th minute. He positioned himself on the right wing and tried to give width in the field. His presence forced Valencia to take a step back.

Luke: Hardly a ball came to him in conditions, but he put intensity and honesty in all his actions. An example, once again.