Player Ratings as Gundogan Penalty Rescues Late Win
Gundogan's Class on Show as Barcelona Escape with Hard-Fought Victory
Barcelona kicked off 2024 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Las Palmas in La Liga. Munir El Haddadi had put the visitors ahead, but Ilkay Gundogan's second-half penalty rescued a late win for the hosts.
Gundogan Dominates Midfield
Running the show once again, Gundogan was untouchable for most of the first half, winning tackles in his own third and threading through balls to his teammates. The German's influence waned slightly in the second half, but he remained a key figure for Barcelona.
Barcelona's Need for Improvement
Despite the win, Barcelona will need to improve if they are to challenge for major honors this season. The team's defense was shaky at times, and they struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half. However, they showed great resilience to come back from behind and secure the three points.
Player Ratings
Here is how the Barcelona players fared against Las Palmas:
- Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 7 - Made a number of important saves to keep Barcelona in the game.
- Sergi Roberto: 6 - Solid defensively, but offered little going forward.
- Ronald Araujo: 7 - Strong in the air and made a number of timely interceptions.
- Jules Kounde: 6 - Caught out of position a few times, but made some good tackles.
- Jordi Alba: 6 - Got forward well and created a few chances, but his crossing was poor.
- Sergio Busquets: 6 - Controlled the tempo of the game, but was sloppy in possession at times.
- Frenkie de Jong: 7 - Worked hard and linked up well with his teammates.
- Gavi: 6 - Energetic and full of running, but made a few poor decisions.
- Ousmane Dembele: 5 - Wasted a great chance in the first half and was substituted in the second half.
- Raphinha: 7 - Scored the winning goal and was a constant threat to the Las Palmas defense.
- Robert Lewandowski: 6 - Missed a few good chances, but worked hard for the team.
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