Barcelona 5-2 Real Betis: Player Ratings as Lionel Messi Masterclass Rescues La Blaugrana

Lionel Messi’s half-time introduction ensured Barcelona ended a run of four La Liga games without a victory as they romped to a 5-2 victory over Real Betis at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Following a frantic opening in which both sides spurned a number of chances, it was the home team who took the lead, with Ousmane Dembele chopping inside before rifling a thunderous left-footed drive past Claudio Bravo.

Ronald Koeman's side then had a glorious chance to double their lead from the penalty spot, only for Antoine Griezmann's effort to be saved by Bravo, and they were made to pay as Betis hit back on the stroke of half-time with Antonio Sanabria firing home from close range.

A lacklustre showing saw Koeman reach for the Lionel Messi panic button at the interval, and it didn't take long for him to show his class, drawing the attention of the Betis backline before producing a sumptuous dummy to allow Griezmann to tap into an empty net.

The game was ended as a contest as Aissa Mandi was dismissed for a handball on the line, with Messi powering home the resulting penalty, though there was still time for Lorenzo Moron to add a late consolation for the visitors before strikes from Messi and Pedri wrapped up an emphatic victory.

That's the game highlights out of the way, now let's get into some Barcelona player ratings.

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (GK) - 6/10 - Nothing he could do about the Betis goals. Showed great handling and was comfortable in possession.

Sergi Roberto (RB) - 5/10 - Caught neglecting his defensive duties time and time again and could have cost his team but for wayward Betis finishing. Much better going forward than when forced to defend.

Gerard Pique (CB) - 5/10 - Looked very shaky in the first-half and spent more time pointing at others than concentrating on his own performance. Steadier in the latter stages of the second-half but the game was over by this point.

Clement Lenglet (CB) - 5/10 - Looked more composed than his centre-back partner but was caught flat-footed for the visitors' equaliser.

Jordi Alba (LB) - 7/10 - An ever-willing runner down the Barcelona left. Looked solid defensively and produced a clever pullback for his side's second of the game.

2. Midfielders

Pedri (CM) - 7/10 - Showed plenty of endeavour and produced a couple of majestic touches around the Betis penalty area.

Sergio Busquets (CM) - 7/10 - A metronome in the middle of the field. Rarely moved out of the centre circle as he comfortably dictated play and continued to produce sublime passes to break through the Betis lines.

Frenkie de Jong (CM) - 5/10 - Overshadowed by his midfield partners. The majority of the game passed him by somewhat, though he began to show his class when the visitors were reduced to ten men and space began to open up.

3. Forwards

Ousmane Dembele (RW) - 8/10 - Fantastic piece of forward play to maneuver himself a yard of space before firing the opening goal of the game. Withdrawn in the second-half with the game all but won.

Antoine Griezmann (ST) - 3/10 - Spurned a hatful of gilt-edged opportunities early on including a spot kick. Eventually got his goal thanks to the majestic Messi's selfless play, but not enough to rescue a shocking afternoon.

Ansu Fati (LW) - 7/10 - Showed superb awareness and movement to win his side a penalty. His influence on the game faded with the arrival of Messi but was still busy and full of running.

4. Substitutes

Lionel Messi (ST) - 9/10 - As he so often is, and has been over the past 15 years, Messi was the difference maker for Barcelona today.

Francisco Trincao (RW) - 7/10

Martin Braithwaite (ST) - 6/10

Miralem Pjanic (CM) - N/A