FC Barcelona 2-1 Hamburger SV: Player Ratings

Standing in for Victor Valdés, this was Pinto’s second successive start for the Blaugrana and for the second match in succession he put in an impressive performance. Pinto was called into action multiple times and for the most part he was equal to Hamburg’s best efforts. He saved a couple of shots from Korean forward Heung-Min Son as Hamburg fought for an equaliser, but despite his best efforts he couldn’t keep out Tolgay Arslan’s fairly tame effort. His distribution wasn’t as good as Tito would have wished, but Pinto is the second choice keeper after all.

A typical all-action performance from the Brazilian full-back; his performance was energetic, intelligent and decisive in equal measure. In fact, his showing in the first 45 minutes merely proved how ludicrous those exit rumours were – in the absence of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi it was Alves who filled the creative void. Surging up and down the right flank, Alves was always an option for the man in possession and helped create space for the likes of Deulofeu and Afellay to thrive. The only downside was his positioning for the HSV goal, but of course that was down to the mistake in possession more than laziness on his part.

After last season’s epic transformation to all-conquering centre-half, the pressure is on El Jefecito to not only remain consistent, but also improve. However, he was no-where near his best last night. In particular his attempt at a slide tackle on Heung-Min Son just smacked of desperation, and it was clear that he is not cut out to be a true leader of the defense. Is it a coincidence that both Bartra and Piqué can look shaky when playing next to Mascherano?

As many people noted on the Live Thread, this wasn’t the best performance in Bartra’s career. However, that’s not to say that we should immediately write him off. There were a few glaring errors such as his positioning, but he was in a defense that included two forward-thinking Brazilian full-backs and a converted defensive midfielder. Not only that, but it was the opening match of pre-season playing for a manager that sets his team out very differently to Eusebio. Give him time, give him some experience playing with Carles Puyol and I’m sure Bartra will prove himself to be an adequate Primera Division centre-half.

It was quiet game for Adriano, perhaps influenced by Alves’ runs down the opposite side of the field. After all, with Alves bombing forward someone had to sit back and help the two centre-halves. As Hamburg never truly managed to sustain an extended period of pressure, Adriano was left with little to do.

This was supposed to be a chance for JDS to shine; a chance to prove his worth to new coach Tito Vilanova and I was left underwhelmed by Jonathan’s performance. Of course, this was only the first match of pre-season so it’s hard to accurately judge whether or not the new faces have what it takes to join the senior squad, but on this showing I would argue that JDS should be loaned out to gain some match experience at the highest level. On the other hand, much like with Bartra, JDS may perform better with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta in support.

Espinosa was a regular for Eusebio in the B team last season, making 32 appearances in the Segunda division and he put in an encouraging performance yesterday. He wasn’t involved in the play as much as we have grown accustomed to seeing from a Blaugrana midfielder, but when you consider the calibre of opposition and his relative inexperience at this level, Espinosa did very well indeed.

Sergi Roberto was the only Barcelona player to play the full 90 minutes last night and after his performances for the senior side last season (in particular the matches vs BATE and Osasuna), some saw this as an opportunity for Sergi to make a case for a permanent spot in the first team. As always his ball control and passing was excellent, but he let himself down with a poor header that went well wide of the mark just before the final whistle.

For years, Gerard Deulofeu has had to carry the burden of being labelled the "next Lionel Messi". The trouble is, Deulofeu actually resembles Messi’s closest challenger for the Ballon D’Or – yes, Deulofeu is almost a La Masia version of Cristiano Ronaldo. All throughout his first half showing yesterday Gerard posed Hamburg problems with his movement, finishing and also with his skilful yet direct dribbling. Obviously it was Deulofeu who grabbed the winner, but it was also Deulofeu who won the corner which led to the first goal after a run laced with step-overs. Could Deulofeu be the next to be promoted to the senior squad? Based on this performance, I wouldn’t bet against it.

With Lionel Messi out injured, the onus was on Alexis Sanchez to lead the attacking line, although by the end of his 45 minute appearance, it was clear that Alexis is not quite ready for that role. There is no doubting that he played well, but despite his pace he couldn’t evade challenges of the Hamburg defense. However, it was Sanchez who set up Dani Alves’ opening goal, and if it weren’t for Adler’s heroics or the linesman then Alexis would have also had a goal for his troubles.

After missing virtually the whole of last season, it’s fair to say that we haven’t seen enough of Afellay in a Barcelona shirt since his signing in the winter of 2011, but based upon this performance Ibi is keen to make up for lost time. Positioned initially as the centre-forward in Messi’s absence, Afellay formed one part of a fluid triumvirate last night, switching places with Sanchez and Deulofeu to wreak havoc with the HSV defense. All in all, it was a good all-round performance from the Dutchman who can claim a little bit of credit for the winner as it was his shot that Deulofeu tucked away on the rebound.

Balliu replaced Dani Alves at the break, filling in at right-back for the second half against what was still a very strong HSV side. In spite of that, Balliu performed admirably and managed to deliver a couple of decent crosses as well. Defensively he was solid, and with Martin Montoya’s promotion, it will be interesting to see how he performs as the undisputed starter for the B team.

Taking the first half as the performance of the senior team, I think Barcelona played well, but nothing more than that. As usual, Barca were fluid in attack, but were plagued by lapses in concentration such as the mistake that led to Hamburg’s equaliser, or some of the attempted back-passes. Possession retention will improve as pre-season continues and as the regulars come back into the side, so there definitely is room for improvement.

Some criticised him for the amount of substitutions he made, and the manner in which he made them, but aside from that, this game did give us a glimpse of what Tito Vilanova is like as a coach. Tactically, this Barcelona were very similar to Pep’s Barca, although that was expected, and in a sense that’s the biggest compliment you could pay him at such an early stage in his managerial career.

The first man of the match award of the 2012/13 season goes to Gerard Deulofeu who fought off the challenge of Dani Alves to win by 7% - and deservedly so.