Yamal 9.5, Fermin 9.5 | Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona: Player Ratings

League leaders Barcelona locked horns with Atletico Madrid on Sunday night in their final game ahead of the next international break, and the game once again lived up to its billing.

Clashes between the Catalans and the Colchoneros have been high-octane games with unpredictable swings in recent years, and last night's game followed the same theme.

Barcelona started off the game poorly, with Diego Simeone's side deservedly taking the lead and even dominating most of the first half.

Fermin Lopez, however, stepped up with a brace and brought the game back into Barcelona's favour with one goal in each half. The game was in Barcelona's control throughout the second half, and they did well to hold on to their lead.

Barca Universal brings you the player ratings from Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona.

The Barcelona goalkeeper was a busy man against Atletico Madrid, and it is hard to even criticize his performance given how he was let down by his teammates.

Time and time again, the hosts attacked with the same pattern of pushing the ball out wide and looking for a low cross across the face of goal, but Barcelona's defence had no answers to the same.

Instead of being defended, the opportunities thus turned into goalscoring chances, and Garcia did well to keep most at bay.

A horror show from Cancelo. (Picture credit: X/FC Barcelona)

Cancelo was horrific against Atletico Madrid as he looked neither defensively accountable nor convincing in attack.

The Portuguese full-back was poorly positioned for the hosts' opening goal, paving the way for Giuliano Simeone's opener. His passes were miscued, dribbles poorly orchestrated, and his show was an all-round disaster.

The Barcelona centre-back had a tough time holding off Atletico Madrid's attacks and often found himself chasing bodies instead of the ball.

His distribution under pressure was decent, but the pace of the game seemed a bit too fast for Martin's capability, and he was often caught out by the runs from Atletico Madrid's midfield.

Cubarsi's positioning was on-point for most of the game, and he did well to ensure that he held the offside line and led the defence on a night where Atletico Madrid seemed to be the better attacking side.

Yet, he too emerged only second best in most duels he participated in and did not win a single one in the first half. He suffocated under Atletico Madrid's attacking force but was much more free after the break.

Farinas was out of his depth. (Picture credit: X/FC Barcelona)

Farinas was put up to his biggest test yet last night as he took on Alex Baena on the flank, and he struggled to keep up defensively and make the right assessments.

Many of the hosts' attacks began down the right flank, and the youngster was simply unable to read the play and get into the right defensive positions. His combination play was decent, but Hansi Flick was forced to take him off at half-time.

In terms of his distribution, Marc Bernal had a decent half with a good pass completion rate and a decent number of progressive passes.

Beyond that, however, the practical utility of his presence was limited as he did not offer any of the defensive solidity or cover which was expected of him.

Atletico Madrid played through Barcelona's midfield with ease in the first half, and there was seemingly nothing Bernal could do to stop the same. Was far more stable in the second half with Frenkie de Jong also on the field.

Pedri was one of the only two players who had a strong first half against Los Rojiblancos last night, and he simply had no support to make any of his heroics count.

Despite Diego Simeone's men starting off strong and dominating, Pedri was the one player who gave Barcelona some spells of possession, provided a creative spark, and soaked in the pressure from the hosts without crumbling.

He struck the crossbar once and came close to scoring on another occasion in the first half, but he truly opened his wings and began controlling the game only after the break on the night.

Fermin Lopez was lively throughout the game, although he struggled to combine with his teammates in tight spaces for most of the first half.

Just when it seemed like playing through the Atletico Madrid press and compact defense was not Fermin's cup of tea, he found the ball in the middle of the box and struck an equalizer for Barcelona against the run of play.

He then struck again in the 66th minute to score from a tight angle and hand Barcelona the lead on the night, marking an important moment in the game.

Gordon has to offer a lot more. (Picture credit: X/FC Barcelona)

Anthony Gordon does not do a lot wrong in terms of holding on to the ball and passing it around, but for the nth time, his attacking output was nothing extraordinary.

The player struggled to take on his man and create any attacking openings of note against Atletico Madrid. Most of his touches were either horizontal or passes played backwards. He did not add much value as a creative option, a pace runner, or even a good ball-striker.

The captain was barely visible against Atletico Madrid and was constantly marked by the hosts' defense. He struggled to contribute to both the buildup and his responsibility as a target man.

He did get two shots away on the night, but neither hit the target convincingly. Overall, a relatively underwhelming night from the Brazilian star.

Magic at his feet. (Picture credit: X/FC Barcelona)

Lamine Yamal was Barcelona's best player on the night, and simply unstoppable down the right flank even by his astronomical standards.

His dribbles on the night were extraterrestrial and left Alejandro Grimaldo without any chance, and he constantly looked to find his teammates in the box or a direct finish.

In the end, he was the one who made Fermin Lopez's second goal possible, and thus played a key part in the goal that handed Barcelona the lead.

The captain came on in the second half to replace Brian Farinas at right-back and did a solid job in the department. Eventually, he slotted back into midfield, and it is safe to say that his entry added far more control of the game for the Catalans.