Oblak: Barça was just stepping on his area, but in a start by Messi, leaving multiple rivals in his wake, he ended up with a left-footed shot where only the extraordinary stop of the Slovenian deprived him of the goal. In the second half he had to be much more active, stopping a foul by Messi well and covering the gap in the last of the game that went away. A clean sheet in a more comfortable way than expected taking into account the needs of Barça, but with another golden stop.
Trippier: He was warned of Jordi Alba's entries by his profile, so he was very attentive to his back. In attack, the Englishman joined in the first half with constancy in search of numerical superiority, with Llorente and Correa at their sides. Trippier always contributes with those passes to the back past the center of the field. In the second part he could appear little in attack.
Savic: The Montenegrin again outlined to the right in the defense of three centrals, very attentive to cover Trippier with the increases of Alba and the falls of Pedri, De Jong or Griezmann due to his profile. He suffered a very hard head clash with Busquets, where the Blaugrana came out worse off. Very serious, he left a good game with his usual solidity, anticipating the attempts to find Griezmann inside and coming out the winner in the melee.
Felipe: He entered the center of the line of three centrals after Giménez had finished the game against Elche with physical problems. Great game of the Brazilian. Very strong in the melee, giving security in all its actions. He had the goal in a play of strategy, but he had to finish off with his left foot and went over the top. He saw a yellow for a foul on Messi at the beginning of the second half, but did not suffer to contain Barça despite being booked. Match of the ones he used to last season and this was costing him more.
Handsome: He returned to his best version, very seriously outlined to the left in the line of three centrals and with a capital importance in the exit of the ball with his good movements. He generated a lot of danger in attack, with good shipments to space for Carrasco and even adding power to the attack, where his great center was about to become a Correa goal. The three centrals were at a high level and Hermoso was the most outstanding also in attack.
Koke: The captain acted as the anchor of the midfield, always offering to deliver the ball in attack and very active when trying to stop Messi. Always an insurance with the ball, finding the best-placed teammate and pulling the pressure line when he sometimes stayed one for one with De Jong, Pedri or Messi. As the minutes passed, he became more exhausted, since in the first part he had made a huge physical display. He finished low after the great effort. Great game for Koke, becoming strong in the middle despite playing without a pivot at his side until the departure of Kondogbia.
Llorente: He started the duel helping Koke more in the center of the field, going down to receive and build the plays. In attack he started from the middle, but always trying to hurt Jordi Alba's back and constantly looking to step on the area. He left some of his centers so dangerous, but always between the defense and Ter Stegen they prevented him from finding a finisher. In the second half it was much more difficult for him to appear, so Cholo moved him to the right wing to try to stop Jordi Alba and take advantage of an attack on his band. Well in aid thanks to its physical display.
Lemar: He started very active, with that ability to unbalance with his turns. He was the first to test Ter Stegen with a comfortable right hand for the German in the second minute, but he had to withdraw from the pitch in the 13th minute with apparently discomfort in the knee. A shame for Atlético, who have a key player in Lemar to link the midfield with the forward and who had already been dragging problems during the week.
Strap: Although it seemed that he was not going to be from the game, Simeone has total faith in his compatriot. Very active, with constant movement to the right wing working on Jordi Alba and stretching the team in attack. Lenglet took the shot from him in the small area with the toe of his boot. He sought to intersperse with Llorente in deep unchecking. He left substituted in another game where he left a great collective effort, although less with the ball appeared as the minutes passed.
Carrasco: From the left wing, Lemar's injury placed him on the inside, with Saúl in his position on the wing and the Belgian trying to unbalance behind Suárez. Very active in attack, trying to overwhelm with his great one on one and stretching the team a lot. He surpassed Mingueza in several actions where only the final tip was missing with the shot or finding a teammate in the area. With Araujo it was more complicated. He returned to the left lane with the replacement of Saúl. He ended up exhausted after a great physical display.
Suarez: He returned to the Camp Nou after his departure from Barça. He looked for the goal in all actions in which the ball fell with a certain advantage near the area, first from a foul, then with a left foot and also with a kick from outside the area that just went away. A lot of work on the pressure and on the back game. In the second half, Atlético was treading less on the rival area and it was more difficult for them to find their teammates near Ter Stegen's goal.
Saul went in … and out
Saul: He replaced Lemar when only 13 minutes had passed into the game, changing the approach and moving Carrasco to the center of the field, with Saúl as the left wing. He tried to combine a lot with the Belgian and open the field in attack. He saw a yellow in the first half for stopping Messi with a foul, so he had to be very careful the rest of his game. Simeone saw that it was dangerous to keep him with a warning and replaced him in the 67th minute.
João Félix: He had the last 25 minutes standing outlined to the left ahead of Carrasco, again lane. He tried to be more active on the defensive side, cutting several balls back and wanted to calm the game in attack by receiving his back and looking for Suárez to pivot, although later they did not find him on the wall or in the unmarked in the area to test his shot . He forced the yellow for Piqué with a great individual action.
Kondogbia: Koke was having a bad time only in the middle and the Frenchman entered to position himself as a pivot and give air to the center of the rojiblanco field. He put in a lot of physical display to get big in the middle. Last dangerous foul on Messi, where it seemed that the Argentine was looking more for contact than the midfielder's own action.