Barcelona 1-0 Levante: Player Ratings as Lionel Messi Strike Ends Blaugrana's Losing Run

Barcelona triumphed 1-0 over Levante at Camp Nou on Sunday night as Lionel Messi's winner sent them up to eighth in La Liga.

Ronald Koeman's men came into the game having suffered a shock loss to Cadiz before putting in a miserable display against Juventus in the Champions League, leaving the side unseeded for the round of 16 draw.

Levante, unsurprisingly, didn't see much of the ball and defended Barcelona's pressure well to begin with. The visitors even had a couple of excellent chances on the counter within the first 20 minutes, reminding their hosts of their susceptible defence.

However, Barça always looked more likely to score and started to pile on the pressure after the 30 minute mark. Koeman's side had 24 efforts on goal throughout the game, 13 of which were on target, but a mixture of not so sharp finishing and an outstanding performance from Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez held the game at 0-0 until the 76th minute.

Fantastic defensive work from Martin Braithwaite and a perfectly timed ball from Frenkie De Jong led to Messi finding himself clean through, the Barcelona captain converting to earn his side all three points

Now, let's get to the player ratings.

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK) - 7/10 - Deserved his clean sheet, having made a crucial save from Jorge de Frutos' effort in the first half. The German remained a valuable presence in the final stages and kept the game at 1-0.

Sergino Dest (RB) - 6/10 - The young American had an average game. He provided attacking impetus down the right when venturing forward, but made a few mistakes on the ball.

Ronald Araujo (CB) - 8/10 - The youngster was a stand out performer on the night and deserves all the plaudits. He made several crucial interceptions and thwarted many of the visitors' counter attacks. Deserves his place in the starting XI.

Clement Lenglet (CB) - 5/10 - The Frenchman wasn't as comfortable as his partner during the match, being beat for pace regularly. He also missed a simple chance to make it 1-0 in the first half.

Jordi Alba (LB) - 6/10 - Another fairly average display. Despite getting on the ball a lot, the Spaniard was predictable and failed to deliver any real quality when he got forward.

2. Midfielders

Sergio Busquets (CM) - 6/10 - Provided a solid base for the hosts, but the veteran made no real impact. He had to be sacrificed later on in the game as Barça searched for the breakthrough.

Frenkie de Jong (CM) - 8/10 - The Dutchman shone for the Blaugrana. De Jong showed his quality as he dictated the play for the hosts, eventually laying the ball on a plate for his captain to slot past Fernandez in the Levante goal.

Antoine Griezmann (AM) - 7/10 - Had a great impact on the game with his movement, link-up play and work rate. Although the Frenchman hasn't come away with a goal or assist, he can be proud of his performance.

3. Forwards

Lionel Messi (RW) - 8/10 - Scored his 600th goal as Barcelona's number ten at a crucial time. He was involved in nearly all of his side's attacking moves and eventually found his way past the Levante goalkeeper.

Martin Braithwaite (ST) - 7/10 - The Dane did miss a few chances, but more than made up for it with some fantastic defensive work, winning the ball back in the build up to the goal. A very tenacious performance for the striker, who continues to impress.

Philippe Coutinho (LW) - 5/10 - Underwhelming to say the least. The Brazilian made no impact on the match and couldn't seem to find a meaningful pass all night. One to forget.

4. Substitutes

Pedri (CM) - 7/10 - Provided another creative drive to the hosts' midfield, replacing Busquets. The teenager had a bright evening, and made a valuable contribution as his side broke the deadlock.

Francisco Trincao (LW) - N/A

Samuel Umtiti (CB) - N/A