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There was the magnificent game-winning goal by Lionel Messi, and the response by Neymar when things looked ugly at the end of the first half. Despite a bad mistake that led to a goal, Gerard Piqué had a masterful game. Javier Mascherano was great as always. Coach Luis Enrique did a good job of maintaining his poise and making good tactical decisions.
But without a doubt, the man of the match against Villarreal was Rafinha Alcântara. His performance as Andrés Iniesta's creation partner was outstanding; he was everywhere on the pitch, helped the passing game, played hard on defense, and tied the game right after Barça allowed a painful second goal to the Yellow Submarine. Rafinha was there doing exactly what his team needed him to do.
His experience at Celta Vigo was instrumental. Rafinha has evolved into a top La Liga player. After his arrival at Barça, he struggled with injuries and didn't have a lot of playing time early. But as the games went on, he started to gain confidence and mature as a footballer.
For the longest time, Rafinha was considered as a bright prospect with future aspirations as a starter, but still a prospect. Now, he is growing into his own as a player and person. He's got the confidence of his coach. And if he keeps getting better, we can say that he's the better of the Alcântara brothers.
