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The Spain international found the net and was impressive throughout while filling in for Real Madrid's main man

Consistently denied a spot in the side by the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz has been waiting for his chance to impress. On Wednesday night, with Bellingham rested, he took it. The Spaniard bagged a goal, was unfortunate to see another ruled out, and pulled the strings in the Englishman's usual role as Los Blancos cruised to a 3-0 win over Braga.

The visitors were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead early, when Lucas Vazquez dragged Cristian Borja down in the box — only for reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to keep out the ensuing penalty.

Diaz thought he had opened the scoring shortly after, but saw his calm finish ruled out for a foul in the build up. There was nothing wrong with the next time he had the ball in the net, though. The attacking midfielder ghosted into the box to meet Rodrygo's cutback, and handed his side a deserved 1-0 lead.

He should have made it two in the second half, but was brilliantly denied from close range by Matheus. Vinicius made no such mistake after 58 minutes, slotting home to complete a smooth counter-attack. Rodrygo added a third two minutes later, receiving Vinicius' pass in stride and delightfully chipping over Matheus, sealing a comfortable win.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andriy Lunin (7/10):

  Called in for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga at the last minute. Did well to save the Braga penalty. Will be happy to keep the clean sheet.

  Lucas Vazquez (5/10):

  Gave up a pen and was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow. Not his best night.

  Antonio Rudiger (7/10):

  Covered spaces in behind effectively. Did a lot of running for the ageing Nacho. Won a few tackles.

  Nacho (7/10):

  Involved heavily throughout. Went about his defensive work well.

  Ferland Mendy (7/10):

  Handed a rare start. Solid defensively, and contributed going forward. Nearly nicked a goal in the first half, too.

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  Midfield

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Snappy in tackles and tidy in possession. Survived an injury scare early in the second half.

  Federico Valverde (7/10):

  Dangerous down the right channel. Had a few dangerous efforts blocked. A real return to form.

  Toni Kroos (7/10):

  This was the perfect kind of game for him: low tempo, space to ping it around, not much defensive work to do. He was as controlled as you'd expect.

  Brahim Diaz (8/10):

  Deployed in the Bellingham role. And there wasn't much, if any, drop-off. Diaz scored the opener, had one disallowed, and was key in the other two goals. Took his chance with aplomb.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (7/10):

  Produced a fine piece of skill and pass to set up Madrid's first. Took the third wonderfully. Two in two in the UCL — he now needs to do it domestically.

  Vinicius Jr (8/10):

  A loose touch cost him a clear goalscoring opportunity early on. Was immense thereafter, creating problems with his running and creativity. Set up one and scored one to round off an electric night.

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  Subs & Manager

  Luka Modric (7/10):

  A masterful cameo, as you'd expect.

  Dani Carvajal (6/10):

  Scampered up the right flank with his usual vigour.

  Nico Paz (6/10):

  Lively on his debut.

  Joselu (5/10):

  Got into good areas, made life awkward for defenders.

  Fran Garcia (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Carlo Ancelotti (8/10):

  Made a few changes, and trusted Diaz with Bellingham absent. It mostly worked out, with his side looking relatively comfortable throughout — early penalty notwithstanding. He will be glad to see Rodrygo back among the goals, too. Qualification sorted.

A number of Manchester United players are beginning to doubt Erik ten Hag's management after their latest defeat to Newcastle, a new report claims.

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• United descending into chaos
• Lost 3-0 to Newcastle in League Cup
• Beaten by Man City at the weekend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reports that United's squad are beginning to turn on management at Old Trafford. It claims that there is resentment towards certain members of the squad from other players, leading from a displeasure at Ten Hag protecting so-called "favourites" within the group while also "rounding on" others.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United have endured a terrible start to the season and have lost eight of their last 15 games, while they have also been beaten in five of their 10 home games throughout the campaign. Those results have left United eighth in the Premier League table, already eight points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and 11 behind leaders Tottenham. They are out of the Carabao Cup and have lost two of their opening three Champions League group games.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United are said to remain behind the manager for now ahead of a run of fixtures against a group of teams one would expect them to beat; they face Fulham next, before playing Copenhagen, Luton Town and Everton in a row. Ten Hag will be acutely aware of the need for a run of results.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ten Hag will hope to steady the ship as United prepare to meet Marco Silva's side. If Fulham win, the 12th-placed Cottagers will move level on points with the Red Devils, an eventuality that would place even more pressure on the Dutchman.

Kevin Phillips has urged Sunderland to sign Sam Vokes on loan this summer after they were linked with a move for the striker.

The Lowdown: Black Cats need Wyke replacement

Charlie Wyke scored 30 goals in all competitions for Sunderland last term (Transfermarkt), but he is officially now a free agent and appears to be on the verge of a move to Celtic (Football Insider).

As such, the Black Cats are in need of a new striker, and according to The Daily Mirror journalist Darren Witcoop, Sunderland are interested in signing Vokes on loan.

The Latest: Phillips urges signature

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips believes Vokes would do a good job in League One. He said:

“It didn’t go to plan for him at Stoke.

“He came in not long after I left. Vokes is that type of player, you know what you’re going to get.

“He is in that Charlie Wyke ilk. He’s big and powerful in the box and gets on the end of crosses.

“That’s not a bad one to be fair. You would like to think he can perform in League One.

“He could suit Sunderland’s style of play, that could turn out to be a decent signing.”

The Verdict: Could do a job

There is no doubt that Lee Johnson will be disappointed to lose Wyke. While some Sunderland supporters may not be too unhappy to see the back of him due to his overall play, it is hard to replace 30 goals no matter what level you are playing at.

Vokes, currently at Stoke City, has not had the best of times with the Potters, scoring just 11 times in 86 matches. However, throughout his career at club level, he has 110 goals to his name, and has scored goals both in the Premier League and the Championship. On top of that, he has 64 caps for Wales and also scored for his country at Euro 2016. He may now be 31, but he could still do a very good job at the Stadium of Light.

In other news, Sunderland fans are happy to see the back of this man.

Lionel Messi is earning $200 million (£165m) more on Instagram than his MLS rivals, with Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez left trailing in his wake.

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• Argentine superstar now in the States
• Boasts massive marketing appeal
• The biggest draw in American soccer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar is now the biggest show in U.S. soccer, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner completing a stunning switch to Inter Miami. He has helped to raise the profile of the domestic game in America, with A-list guests flocking to watch him in action as ticket prices soar each and every time that he takes to the field.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi is a marketing dream, and he is taking full advantage of that on social media. A study from has revealed that the 2022 World Cup winner is averaging $4.9m (£4m) for every sponsored post on Instagram. Those figures leave him on course to earn $206.6m (£170m) for the calendar year of 2023.

  Getty/GOAL

• DID YOU KNOW?

  To put those numbers into context, LA Galaxy striker Chicharito sits second on the MLS Instagram earning list, but the Mexico international gets $62,500 per post and a little over $1m in total. Lorenzo Insigne occupies third spot on £22,450 and $134,700 respectively.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi has 485m followers on Instagram and earns more per post than leading other figures in American sport. NBA superstar LeBron James gets $1.6m per sponsored post, while NFL legend Tom Brady comes in at $147,000. Messi’s boss in Florida – Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham – averages $841,000 from his social media activity, with the Manchester United and England icon set to pull in $15.1m (£12m) from Instagram in 2023.

Leicester have been handed a major boost over James Maddison, following comments by Gabriel Agbonlahor.

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League forward has rejected claims that Arsenal could sign Leicester midfielder James Maddison this summer.

Agbonlahor does not believe that the Gunners would be able to offer Maddison as much money as Leicester in terms of wages and has ruled out any chance of the former Norwich man joining the Emirates stadium.

He told Football Insider:

“I don’t see that happening at all, to be honest.

“Leicester are in Europe, Arsenal aren’t. Leicester are a top-six team, Arsenal aren’t. I just don’t see that happening.

“Leicester can pay very big wages, I’ve heard from people there. Maddison will be on very good money and probably more than Arsenal can pay him, to be honest. For me, that transfer doesn’t happen. Not one bit.”

Rodgers will be buzzing

Rodgers will surely be buzzing by this news as Agbonalhor seemingly believes that Maddison would reject a transfer to Arsenal even if it got to the stage of speaking about personal terms.

The ex-Villa star does not think that the Gunners can match Leicester in terms of wages, which is why he does not see Maddison donning a red strip any time soon.

This is a credit to Leicester and the work they have done in recent seasons to establish themselves as contenders for the top six, with the club now potentially able to reject interest from big clubs for their key players.

Maddison did not enjoy a great end to the season as he struggled with injury and form, but there is no doubting the quality he possesses, in which manager Brendan Rodgers has dubbed him “immense” in the past.

The “absolutely outstanding” England international ended the campaign with 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for the Foxes, which is an improvement from the nine goals and three assists he managed the previous season.

This proves that he was able to take his game to another level, even if he did not end the campaign as he would have liked – with no goals or assists in his last eight Premier League matches after returning from injury.

The £110k-per-week magician still has plenty of room left for development at the age of 24.

This means that Rodgers still has the chance to coach him into becoming a better footballer, which is a tantalising prospect given that he has already been able to hit double figures for goals and assists in a season.

Therefore, the Foxes head coach will be delighted by this news as it could increase the chances of Maddison being his player going forward and give him the opportunity to continue working with the £49.5m-rated dynamo on the training pitch.

AND in other news, Major development emerges on “fantastic” £26m gem, LCFC fans will be on cloud nine…

Phil Foden and newcomer Josko Gvardiol were outstanding as the treble winners overcame their tiredness to see off the Magpies

The most successful managers have spoken at length about the difficulty in maintaining the hunger of a team that has won it all. All sporting empires eventually fall and a common theme is that they suffer from complacency and their old fire burns out; but not this Manchester City team.

The Cityzens had every right to be jaded so soon after their penalty shootout win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, but Pep Guardiola's side overcame the adversity against Newcastle. Julian Alvarez's stunning strike secured a 1-0 win, setting a new club record of 17 consecutive home victories.

After returning to Manchester from Athens on Thursday, Guardiola claimed his side had no time to train and properly prepare for this fixture against a fellow top-four finisher in the 2022/23 campaign. The Catalan was only able to make two changes to his starting XI and was without key players John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, but his side produced another exceptional performance and fully deserved the three points.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the Etihad Stadium…

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  WINNER: City's mentality

  City have won every single game at the Etihad Stadium in 2023. They have beaten Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Chelsea, twice. That run looked to be at serious risk of coming to an end against Newcastle, especially as the champions had been severely tested by Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup final in the scorching heat of Athens and had so little time to prepare for the match.

  City did not win the treble last season by making excuses for themselves, however, and they demonstrated that single-mindedness which has underpinned their many successes under Guardiola.

  "This is the second game of the season but it is proof, the reason why we won a lot, the mindset and mentality of this group of players," Guardiola told a press conference. "Amazing every time, it surprises me every time. [Look at] the conditions we arrived in, a lot of injuries and no rest and defend and how they run and the commitment of absolutely everyone was amazing."

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  LOSER: City's rivals

  It is going to be a long season and it is always dangerous to make conclusions after two matches, but you have to feel for City's main rivals Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

  Watching how well they coped in the circumstances must be demoralizing for the likes of Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag.

  No side in 134 years has ever won four top-flight titles in a row but, on this evidence, you would not want to bet against City from defying history and winning yet another crown.

• WINNER: Phil Foden

  Filling in for Kevin De Bruyne is a daunting task for any player but Phil Foden is making a fine go of it. The England midfielder lost his place in the starting XI towards the end of last season but has put all his energy into winning it back and De Bruyne's injury, although a disaster for the team on many levels, has played into his hands.

  Foden was magnificent against Newcastle, and not just because he set up the only goal of the game for Alvarez. He set up seven chances in total and no player in Europe's top nine leagues has created as many opportunities as him so far this season.

  "Phil can play in all the positions up front, he has incredible ability between the lines the way he turn and attack the last lines, it is one of the best I have seen," said a delighted Guardiola.

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  LOSER: Eddie Howe

  After making a stunning start to the new campaign by thrashing Villa, Newcastle headed to the Etihad hoping to record their first-ever away win against City since they upped sticks from Maine Road and moved to their current home in 2003.

  The conditions were in Newcastle's favor as they had a week to prepare for the match while City barely had two days. They also had a full squad, while City were missing Stones, De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

  The Magpies, however, put in a disappointing performance and Eddie Howe admitted that his side only started to play how he wanted them to late in the game.

  "When the moments came we weren’t clinical enough," said the Newcastle manager. "The second-half showing was much better. Fitness-wise we looked good, technically we were off, that’s probably where we lost it today, we turned the ball over quite a bit, we wanted to be ourselves but we didn’t execute it properly."

Brazil superstar Neymar has been “tied up” by Peruvian shamans that hope to “neutralise” the threat he poses in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

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• Selecao in qualification action
• No.10 now their all-time top scorer
• Rivals eager to contain his threat

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 31-year-old forward – who has overtaken Pele to become his country’s all-time leading goalscorer – is due to be back in international action on Tuesday. Hosts Peru are aware that they are going to need all the help they can get in order to claim a positive result against the five-time World Cup winners.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With that in mind, a group of traditional healers from the jungle, mountains and coastal regions of Peru – known as Tayta Inti (Father Sun) – have offered their assistance. An effigy of Neymar has been tied up, while a colourful altar with swords, amulets, flags and photos of players from both teams featured in a ritual that took place outside Peru’s national stadium.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Shaman Felix Rondan told reporters: “We have neutralized Neymar by tying his feet. We tied him up so that he is not in good shape, and doesn't run and play well.” Shaman Walter Alarcon added that the ritual was intended to cloud Neymar’s mind so that he cannot “achieve what he is looking for, which are goals”.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Brazil won their opening game of 2026 World Cup qualifying 5-1 against Bolivia – with Neymar bagging a brace in that contest to take him on to 79 international goals – while Peru were held to a goalless draw by Paraguay.

Co-owner Todd Boehly is said to be piecing together a sensational offer for Paris Saint-Germain's wantaway superstar, but is it too good to be true?

Todd Boehly is at it again. Having relinquished control of Chelsea's transfer business following a series of high-profile misses a year ago, the co-owner is reportedly working on what would be a sensational approach for Paris Saint-Germain's wantaway contract rebel, Kylian Mbappe.

The 24-year-old is for officially for sale having rejected a new contract in the French capital, and though it is widely believed he has his heart set on a free transfer to Real Madrid in 2024, there is inevitably already plenty of clamour for his signature.

A move to Stamford Bridge would send shockwaves around the football world, but how can the Blues pull it off, and would the World Cup winner even consider it? GOAL assesses this latest bombshell in the Mbappe saga…

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  A unique opportunity

  This could feasibly be the only chance Chelsea ever have to sign Mbappe at his peak. Whether or not he moves elsewhere first, he is destined to join Real Madrid at some stage – the club he obsessed over as a boy.

  However, while Los Blancos are financially stable enough to purchase the Frenchman this summer, those in the Bernabeu hierarchy would surely prefer to wait a year and sign him on an albeit costly free transfer upon the expiry of his PSG contract.

  That provides Chelsea with a window of opportunity – even if that window is only open the slightest crack. If they can somehow put together a package that is acceptable for both PSG and the player, they will hope he becomes enamoured with the club, life in London and the Premier League, and defers his Real Madrid destiny for a few years.

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  Undoubtedly worthwhile

  Suffice to say, after just over a year as Chelsea co-owner and a period as acting sporting director, Boehly's track record with big-money transfers leaves a lot to be desired. But pursuing a superstar of Mbappe's calibre – a man who is comfortably among the top three players on the planet – is entirely different.

  While there was risk attached to splurging huge sums on relatively unproven players such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, Mbappe guarantees success. Indeed, he could well be the difference between Europa League and Champions League qualification for a team like Chelsea next season in this transitional period, elevating those around him and doubtless providing the kind of prolific goalscoring that the Blues have been sorely lacking.

  If the opportunity arises to sign one of the world's best players in their peak years, you simply have to seize it, and the west Londoners have shown in the recent past that they have the finances and ruthlessness to make waves in the transfer market.

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  Pochettino's 'good relationship'

  Needless to say, Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino would be in favour of a reunion with a player he managed during his time in the French capital. He was coy on the links to Mbappe, though, saying recently: “I think in our past we were at Paris Saint-Germain with Kylian and think I need to be conscious that I cannot talk. Everything you talk is too much noise. It is a situation that is very delicate and one they need to fix in Paris with Kylian. For our side I have nothing to say.

  "We are working on our reality, our reality is different. From my side, nothing to say, only to support them. I hope they find a solution for both sides. It is a club that I love because I was a player, a captain and a coach. With Kylian we created a very good relationship, I hope they can find the best solution for both sides."

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  How could Chelsea pull it off?

  As it stands, it's not exactly clear how Chelsea plan to finance what would be a sensational deal for Mbappe, or indeed if they actually plan to take him on loan for a year. It has been reported that Boehly is trying to cobble together a player-plus-cash offer, but there are surely very few players who are both desirable to PSG and expendable to Chelsea; Reece James is untouchable, there is no way the Premier League side would be willing to part with Enzo, Levi Colwill is set to sign a new contract and Wesley Fofana has a long-term injury.

  Perhaps the Blues are already willing to cut their losses on Mudryk if it opens up the possibility of signing Mbappe, and Hakim Ziyech could well come back into the equation following his infamous failed transfer to Parc des Princes in January. Outcast Romelu Lukaku is another player who could be of interest, having been linked with the French giants in the past.

Jesse Lingard made an instant impact when he signed on loan at West Ham but with the England international still yet to make it clear where he wants to play his football next season, the Hammers could start to look at alternatives and someone David Moyes could get the best out of is Ross Barkley, according to former Iron Rob Lee.

Moyes was the manager who bled Barkley into the Everton first team and gave him the chance to flourish at Goodison Park, and that was ultimately the best football the England international has played in his career.

£100,000-a-week man Barkley has a huge summer ahead of him as he is now 27-years-old and entering the peak of his career, so linking up with a manager who started his career could be smart because he must consider leaving Chelsea permanently as that transfer never looked good from the beginning.

During his time at Everton, Barkley was the main man as everything went through him and the way Moyes has turned Lingard’s career around Barkley may feel like that could be him next season.

When Lee was asked about the possibility of Barkley reuniting with Moyes at West Ham he had this to say exclusively to Football FanCast:

“I think so, yes because he is certainly a good player.”

Barkley would perhaps have to change his game slightly to replicate exactly what Lingard did at the London Stadium despite the former Everton midfielder’s quality – something Lee went onto explain:

“He plays slightly differently to Lingard as Ross gets more involved in the technical side of the game and creates more whereas Jesse gets in the box, and he scores more goals.

“‘I’m sure if West Ham can’t get Jesse Lingard then they will go all out to sign him.”

After a bright start to life on loan at Villa Park, Barkley only managed one goal and zero assists from November 21st and he may feel that Aston Villa was not the right move for him as it appears Barkley has to be the main man to thrive and with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealishg and Villa, that was never going to be the case.

A weakened Barcelona XI faltered away from home, as the La Liga leaders lost convincingly against relegation-threatened Real Valladolid.

Barcelona's makeshift defensive unit folded in a hostile environment, and the Spanish champions crumbled to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat against a Valladolid side looking to drag themselves out of the relegation zone.

Valladolid only needed 90 seconds to score. The home team worked the ball down the wing before sending a cross into the Blaugrana box — which Andreas Christensen turned into his own net. It was 2-0 15 minutes later, with Cyle Larin converting from the spot after a clumsy Garcia foul in the box.

Barcelona were poor at the other end, lacking in attacking inspiration in the absence of Pedri and Ousmane Dembele. And when they did create, Jordi Masip made a handful of saves to keep them out, ensuring the home side took a 2-0 lead into the break.

A third came after 73 minutes, as the Blaugrana were ripped apart on the counter-attack. Garcia, deployed in an unfamiliar right-back role, played Larin onside, before failing to recover — allowing Gonzalo Plata an easy tap in at the back post.

The Blaugrana grabbed a consolation, with Robert Lewandowski rounding the keeper and finishing to move one step closer to the golden boot. But it did little to hide what was a miserable performance from a team perhaps still celebrating clinching the title.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Estadio Jose Zorrilla…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

  Couldn't do anything about Christensen's own goal and was sent the wrong way on the penalty. Subbed at half time.

  Sergi Roberto (5/10):

  Taken off at the break after a forgettable 45 minutes.

  Andreas Christensen (6/10):

  Nodded one into his own net in the opening exchanges. Nearly made up for it at the other end shortly after.

  Marcos Alonso (3/10):

  Entirely missing in the build-up to the second goal. Still puzzling that Xavi uses him as a centre-back.

  Alejandro Balde (6/10):

  As energetic as usual, but his final ball was lacking. There will be better days.

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  Midfield

  Gavi (4/10):

  Scrappy but ineffective. Looks like he needs a break after a long season.

  Eric Garcia (3/10):

  Started as a No.6. Gave away a penalty with a silly challenge. Moved to right-back in the second half, where he was equally poor.

  Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

  Barcelona's best player by some distance. Smooth on the ball and creative in his passing. Assisted Lewandowski for the Blaugrana's only goal. Looks like a bargain these days.

  Pablo Torre (5/10):

  Handed a start with Pedri out. Had some good moments in the first half but faded from the game.

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  Attack

  Raphinha (4/10):

  Constantly looking to run at the defence, although his decision-making was erratic. Drew an impressive save out of the goalkeeper in the first half, his only real attacking impact.

  Robert Lewandowski (7/10):

  Scored a nice goal to presumably wrap up the Pichichi Trophy in his first season in La Liga.

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  Subs & Manager

  Inaki Pena (6/10):

  Subbed on at half time with a clean sheet out of the question.

  Franck Kessie (5/10):

  Added more bite in central midfield, but not the creativity Barca needed.

  Ousmane Dembele (5/10):

  Ran a bit with the ball, but also lost it a few times.

  Ferran Torres (4/10):

  Missed a half chance that would have perhaps gotten his team back into the game.

  Ansu Fati (5/10):
  Hardly touched the ball in 20 minutes.

  Xavi (3/10):

  Made a few changes and gave the young Pablo Torre a start. None of his rotations really worked. Garcia was poor in lieu of Busquets, while Alonso failed to convince at centre-back once again. Few outside of Valladolid will remember this result, but it showed that Xavi's side have a long way to go.