Player Ratings: Villarreal 0-1 Barcelona

Barcelona continued their 100% start to the league season with a 1-0 win over Villarreal at El Madrigal on Sunday.

The only goal of the match arrived after 82 minutes, when teenager Sandro Ramirez converted from close range.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed in the La Liga clash.

VILLARREAL

Goal

Sergio Asenjo: Could do nothing with Barcelona's late winner and made a number of smart stops throughout the 90 minutes. Was unlucky to be on the losing side at El Madrigal. (7/10)

Defence

Mario Gaspar: Slightly fortunate not to concede a penalty in the first period after a lunge on Pedro, but was defensively brilliant. Has emerged into one of the best full-backs in the league. (7/10)

Mateo Musacchio: Returned to the XI despite strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur and will have further increased speculation with a dominant and composed display at the heart of the defence. (7/10)

Victor Ruiz: On-loan Valencia defender missed his side's best chance in the first period, firing wide at the far post following a brilliant cross from Cani. (7/10)

Jaume Costa: Was forced off with an injury in the second period, but was extremely solid during his 59 minutes on the field. Frustrated Pedro for long spells. (7/10)

Midfield

Tomas Pina: Holding midfielder hit the post late on, but performed a solid job in front of his defence. Passing was neat and tidy in the middle of the park. (6/10)

Bruno: Proved a solid presence in the middle of the park, but did not have too much of an influence in the final third. Passing was unusually wayward at times. (6/10)

Manu Trigueros: Drifted into a wider position in the second period and threatened with his quality on the ball. Had a couple of long-range efforts, but failed to test Claudio Bravo. (6/10)

Cani: Always willing to take possession in the final third, but lacked runners ahead of him. Has had better evenings in a Villarreal shirt. (6/10)

Attack

Denis Cheryshev: Tasked with providing support to lone striker Giovani dos Santos, but simply did not see enough of the ball as Barcelona dominated possession for long spells. (5/10)

Giovani dos Santos: Made all the right runs in the final third, but really struggled for service. Mexican is better when he plays behind a centre-forward. (5/10)

Substitutes

Gabriel Paulista: Slotted effortlessly into the back four after replacing Costa in the second period, making a number of strong challenges in the latter stages. (7/10)

Luciano Vietto: Looked bright during his 25 minutes on the field and certainly worried the Barcelona defence. Needs time to settle in order to fully function for his new club. (6/10)

Javier Espinosa: Former Barcelona B player entered 20 minutes from time, but most of his work came in defensive areas as the Yellow Submarine continued to retreat in the latter stages. (6/10)

BARCELONA

Goal

Claudio Bravo: Did not have a single save to make, but was calm and confident from crosses. Looks to be a very good signing for the Catalan outfit. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Alves: Arguably his side's biggest attacking threat for long spells. His final ball was poor at times, but the Brazilian caused Villarreal all sorts of problems in the final third. (7/10)

Gerard Pique: Calm and confident on his return to the XI. Kept Giovani in check and never looked in danger alongside new centre-back partner Jeremy Mathieu. (7/10)

Jeremy Mathieu: Very good from the Frenchman once again. His signing was questioned in some quarters, but he produced another top-drawer defensive performance at El Madrigal. (8/10)

Jordi Alba: Not as involved as Alves in an attacking sense, but was strong in defensive areas. (7/10)

Midfield

Ivan Rakitic: Another impressive showing from the Croatian, who is keeping Xavi on the bench. Kept things ticking over nicely with his incredible range of passing. (7/10)

Rafinha: Handed his second league start for the club in a deeper role, but struggled to influence the match. Was tidy in possession, but lacked an end product. Will improve. (6/10)

Sergio Busquets: Typical performance from the Spaniard, who protected his back four. Excellent passing and never looked flustered in a packed midfield. (7/10)

Attack

Pedro: Might have won a first-half penalty from Mario, but was largely frustrated. Came close with a couple of efforts, but needs to do more in order to secure a spot in the first XI. (6/10)

Lionel Messi: Another brilliant display from the Argentine, who set up Sandro for the winner. Always involved and always at the heart of Barcelona's attacking threat. (8/10)

Munir El-Haddadi: Could not repeat his heroics from last weekend. The 18-year-old will be a star for Barcelona in the coming years, but found it tough at El Madrigal. (6/10)

Substitutes

Neymar: Immediately occupied the Villarreal defence upon his introduction and his pace played a major role in Barcelona's late dominance. Very impressive cameo on his return from injury. (7/10)

Sandro Ramirez: Munir was the star youngster last weekend, but it was Sandro's turn tonight. The teenager won it for his side with a close-range finish late on. (7/10)

Xavi: No surprise that the Spaniard picked up the pace of the game immediately upon his introduction. (7/10)