Player Ratings: Celta Vigo 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona moved four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo at the Balaidos on Sunday.

The only goal of the match came after 73 minutes, with Jeremy Mathieu heading a Xavi free kick into the back of the net.

Celta, meanwhile, finished the game with 10 men following a late red card for Fabian Orellana.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at how each individual player performed in Vigo.

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CELTA VIGO

Goal

Sergio Alvarez: Made a really smart save to deny Lionel Messi in the first period and could not do much with the winner. Can be pleased with his performance against the Catalan outfit. (6/10)

Defence

Hugo Mallo: Had a strong game at full-back. Was always prepared to break forward and came close with a curling effort late on. Neymar struggled against the Spaniard. (7/10)

Gustavo Cabral: Helped keep Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar quiet with an impressive performance. Made a number of strong blocks and was also calm in possession of the ball. (8/10)

Andreu Fontas: Would have been keen to impress against his former club and the defender answered the challenge. Did not put a foot wrong alongside Cabral at centre-back. (8/10)

Jonny Castro: Caused problems when he broke forward and combined well with Nolito. Helped keep Barcelona's front three extremely quiet at the Balaidos. (7/10)

Midfield

Augusto Fernandez: Proved a threat in the final third and was also prepared to help out his defence when needed. Impressed during what was a box-to-box performance. (7/10)

Pablo Hernandez: Like Fernandez, Hernandez was also prepared to occupy both defensive and forward areas. Was replaced late on as Celta searched for a late equaliser. (7/10)

Michael Krohn-Dehli: Neat and tidy in possession, but did not have much of an impact in the final third. Was replaced in Celta's first change after 67 minutes. (6/10)

Attack

Fabian Orellana: Had a decent game in the final third, but saw red in the latter stages after bizarrely throwing a piece of turf at the face of Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets. (6/10)

Joaquin Larrivey: Had a golden chance to break the deadlock in the first period, but fired high of the crossbar under little pressure. Not the hero against Barcelona this time around. (6/10)

Nolito Quite comfortably his team's most potent attacking threat. Caused the visitors a number of problems in the final third and was unlucky not to score. (7/10)

Substitutes

Nemanja Radoja: Did well to pick up the pace of the match after entering the final 23 minutes. Could not help his team recover in the final 15 minutes though. (6/10)

Charles: Found himself unmarked inside the Barcelona box late on, but was denied by a wonderful challenge from Gerard Pique. Will have been disappointed not to start. (6/10)

Santi Mina: Was thrown on after 83 minutes as Celta looked to recover from Mathieu's header, but the Spanish youngster did not have too much service in the final third. (6/10)

BARCELONA

Goal

Claudio Bravo: Made a really smart save to deny Larrivey in the early stages and proved strong from set pieces. Has been one of Barca's most consistent performers this season. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Alves: Had a golden chance to register in the second period when the score was still 0-0, but fired horribly wide. Distribution in the final third was also disappointing. (6/10)

Jeremy Mathieu: Proved the match-winner as his header secured all the points for the visitors. Was also very strong at the heart of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. (8/10)

Gerard Pique: Man-of-the-match performance from the Spaniard, who made a host of excellent challenges throughout the match. One of Europe's best defenders at the moment. (9/10)

Adriano: Had a decent enough game at left-back, but does not offer the same threat as Jordi Alba, who missed this game with a hamstring problem. (7/10)

Midfield

Sergio Busquets: Proved crucial for Barca as he spoiled a host of Celta attacks throughout the match. Made a stunning challenge in the final minute to deny Nolito a shot on goal. (8/10)

Rafinha: Not great from the midfielder, who failed to impress against the club he represented on loan last season. Never really threatened to make his mark. (6/10)

Andres Iniesta: As expected, the Spaniard's passing was neat and tidy, but it was another game where he failed to make a major contribution. Was subbed for Pedro after 75 minutes. (6/10)

Attack

Neymar: Was the poorest player on the pitch in Vigo. Had a super strike disallowed in the second period, but that was his only contribution during what was a frustrating night. (5/10)

Luis Suarez: Occupied the two Celta centre-backs with a number of bright runs, but the striker's movement did not bring about many chances. Quiet night overall. (6/10)

Lionel Messi: Had an excellent chance to put the game beyond Celta in stoppage time, but lifted his effort over the crossbar from close range. Not the Argentine's best performance. (6/10)

Substitutes

Xavi: Made such a difference to Barcelona during his 30 minutes on the field. Set up Mathieu's header with a super free kick and was class personified in possession of the ball. (7/10)

Pedro: Cannot work his way into the starting XI at the moment, but provided an injection of pace from the sidelines as he entered for the final 15 minutes. (6/10)

Ivan Rakitic: Only given the final three minutes of normal time, but helped Barcelona retain possession in the final moments when Celta attempted to turn the screw. (6/10)