Barcelona Loses to Monaco: Player Ratings & Red Card
Barcelona's pre-season tour of the United States got off to a disappointing start with a 1-2 loss against AS Monaco in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The game saw a red card for Frenkie de Jong, some questionable defensive displays, and a lackluster attacking performance from the Blaugrana.
First Half: A Disappointing Start
The first half was a tale of missed chances and defensive lapses. Barcelona dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Monaco, on the other hand, looked dangerous on the counter-attack and capitalized on a defensive error to take the lead in the 33rd minute. Wissam Ben Yedder, known for his clinical finishing, found himself in a one-on-one situation against the Barcelona defense and calmly slotted the ball past the helpless Inaki Pena.
Barcelona's lack of attacking potency was evident. While Gavi and Pedri showed flashes of brilliance, their efforts were often stifled by Monaco's well-organized defense. The lack of a true target man upfront, especially without Robert Lewandowski, was a clear weakness for the Catalan giants.
Second Half: Red Card and More Woes
The second half saw Barcelona struggling to find their rhythm. Their frustration was evident in the 55th minute when Frenkie de Jong received a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Takumi Minamino. This incident completely shifted the momentum of the game in favor of Monaco.
With a man advantage, Monaco doubled their lead in the 71st minute. A well-executed cross from Vanderson found the head of Breel Embolo, who comfortably headed the ball past Inaki Pena. Barcelona's hopes of salvaging a draw were extinguished when they failed to capitalize on a series of set-piece opportunities.
Player Ratings
Barcelona:
- Inaki Pena (6/10): Despite conceding two goals, Pena made some crucial saves and exhibited good command of his box.
- Jules Koundé (5/10): A solid performance overall, but Koundé was caught out of position on a few occasions.
- Ronald Araujo (6/10): A strong defensive presence, but Araujo was unable to prevent the first goal.
- Andreas Christensen (5/10): Not his best performance. He looked shaky at times and struggled to deal with Monaco's counter-attacks.
- Alejandro Balde (6/10): A lively display from the young full-back, but Balde's attacking runs were often curtailed by Monaco's disciplined defending.
- Frenkie de Jong (3/10): A disappointing game that ended with a red card. De Jong was reckless in his tackling and failed to control the midfield.
- Gavi (7/10): Barcelona's standout performer. Gavi's energy and creativity in the midfield were a bright spot in a disappointing performance.
- Pedri (6/10): A controlled performance but lacking in sharpness. Pedri's passes were often inaccurate, and he struggled to break down the Monaco defense.
- Sergi Roberto (5/10): A frustrating game for Roberto. He lacked creativity in the final third and struggled to maintain possession.
- Ferran Torres (5/10): A disappointing display. Torres lacked any real threat in attack and was easily marked by Monaco's defense.
- Ansu Fati (6/10): A bright spark in the attack. Fati showed his pace and dribbling skills but was unable to find the back of the net.
Monaco:
- Alexander Nubel (7/10): A composed performance, Nubel made several key saves to deny Barcelona.
- Vanderson (7/10): A strong performance from the right-back. Vanderson provided the assist for Embolo's goal.
- Axel Disasi (7/10): A solid defensive performance, Disasi was crucial in containing Barcelona's attacking threat.
- Guillermo Maripán (6/10): A composed display. Maripán made some important interventions and helped to keep Barcelona at bay.
- Caio Henrique (7/10): A steady and reliable performance from the left-back, Henrique provided a strong defensive presence.
- Youssouf Fofana (7/10): A dominating performance in midfield. Fofana controlled the tempo of the game and disrupted Barcelona's build-up play.
- Takumi Minamino (6/10): A tricky and elusive attacker, Minamino was a constant threat to Barcelona's defense.
- Eliesse Ben Seghir (6/10): A lively and energetic performance. Ben Seghir's pace and dribbling skills caused problems for Barcelona's defense.
- Wissam Ben Yedder (8/10): A clinical and efficient performance. Ben Yedder scored the opening goal and was a constant menace to Barcelona's defense.
- Breel Embolo (7/10): A strong and physical presence in the attack, Embolo scored Monaco's second goal.
Conclusion
Barcelona's loss to Monaco was a disappointing start to their pre-season tour. The team looked disjointed and lacked the sharpness and creativity needed to break down a well-organized Monaco defense. The red card to Frenkie de Jong was a major setback, and the lack of a reliable target man upfront was another concern.
However, it's important to remember that this is just a pre-season game. Barcelona will have plenty of opportunities to work on their shortcomings and improve their performance before the start of the new season.
