Lewandowski 4.5, Cortes 7.5 | Deportivo Alaves 1-0 Barcelona: Player Ratings | Barca Universal

"Still in the hangover of their win, Barcelona lacked the intensity and intent that Alaves showed on the night and the relegation-threatened side played with more heart and determination than the visitors. Eventually, they took the lead on the night late in the first-half and forced Hansi Flick to dig deep into his bench after the break to salvage a point. The Catalans, however, did not manage to take even a point away."

"Wojciech Szczesny: 6.5 Given that the league title was decided and Joan Garcia's Zamora Trophy chances may be affected, Hansi Flick handed Wojciech Szczesny a start against Deportivo Alaves and the veteran looked a bit rusty. He made two saves in the first half but could have done a bit better to keep the goal out. Looked comfortable with his distribution and made one big save after the break."

"Alejandro Balde: 6.5 Similar to Joan Garcia's situation in goal, Hansi Flick handed Joao Cancelo a rest at left-back and brought Alejandro Balde back into the lineup last night to hand the La Masia star a chance to prove his worth. While he was neat with his distribution, he could have delivered a more convincing defensive performance and should have had more end-product for his attacking forays."

"Alvaro Cortes: 7.5 Making his first start for the first team, Cortes was the big surprise in Hansi Flick's lineup for the night and did well to keep up with the pressure. He was solid with his decision-making and defensive actions and exceedingly positive with his passing range and accuracy against Alaves. Did not look like a player making his debut in any sense."

Barcelona began their first game after winning the league title against Alaves with less intensity and intent than expected. Alaves, facing relegation, played with more heart and determination and created the better overall momentum. Barcelona fell behind late in the first half and Hansi Flick responded after the break by using his bench to try to salvage a point. Despite the changes, Barcelona did not manage to take even a point away. Player ratings reflected mixed performances, with Wojciech Szczesny appearing slightly rusty, Alejandro Balde needing stronger defensive and attacking impact, and Alvaro Cortes standing out with solid debut-level composure and passing.

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