Barcelona put on another bitterly disappointing showing as they fell to a deserved 1-0 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
While they may have been bailed out by Ronald Araujo's stoppage-time goal last time out, there would be no such saviour this time around as Barcelona's dull display got exactly what it deserved.
Danylo Sikan's first-half header proved the difference between the two sides, and it was Shakhtar who looked likeliest to add a second goal.
How the game unfolded
Barcelona had most of the possession early on but Shakhtar looked lively on the counter and Mykola Matvienko forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen into the game's first real save 15 minutes in.
The Ukrainian side grew in confidence as the half progressed and, while still happy to gift Barcelona possession, deservedly took the lead five minutes before the interval. Sikan rose highest and sent an excellent header into Ter Stegen's top corner to cap off an excellent first half in which Barcelona did not manage a single shot on target.
Ter Stegen had to be alert to stop Giorgi Gocholeishvili inside the first few minutes of the second half as Shakhtar set out to ensure the story of the match continued.
Barcelona's possession dominance only grew as the clock ticked on, but their tame shots from range had no impact at all as the wait for a shot on target continued. Shakhtar buzzed around with immense energy and threw themselves at everything to protect their lead.
Gavi sent the tamest of headers towards goal on the hour mark in what was technically a first effort on target, but Barcelona offered so little in attack as Shakhtar sat deep and simply waited for the final whistle.
Substitute Lamine Yamal provided a much-needed spark off the bench but the talented teenager could not drag his team level, sending a number of crosses into the box but rarely finding his target.
Teenage winger Newerton thought he had crashed in a second goal for Shakhtar in the dying embers but the offside flag put a premature end to his celebrations.
Barcelona player ratings (4-3-3)
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 6/10 - Didn't cover himself in glory for the opening goal but repelled everything else Shakhtar threw at him.
RB: Joao Cancelo - 6/10 - Put himself about. Can't fault the work rate as Cancelo tried to get involved as much as possible, but the end product was rarely there.
CB: Ronald Araujo - 6/10 - Busier than he'll have expected to be. Flashed good agility to get around the pitch and deal with Shakhtar's impressive counters.
CB: Andreas Christensen - 4/10 - Overpowered for the opening goal and was clearly panicked with a number of poor challenges. Not the sort of performance needed when minutes are already hard to come by.
LB: Marcos Alonso - 4/10 - Naive with his desire to constantly overlap. Doesn't have the legs to do that these days and left acres of space behind him.
DM: Oriol Romeu - 5/10 - Solid enough when it came to defending but offered nowhere near enough on the other side of the ball. Far too passive in possession.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan - 6/10 - Great work rate. One of the few Barcelona players who looked keen to make something happen, but just couldn't pull the strings.
CM: Gavi - 4/10 - Very quiet. Felt like he struggled to impact the game at either end of the field and his famous work rate seemed to desert him as well.
RW: Raphinha - 4/10 - Raphinha was clearly trying but it got to the point where fans almost wished he wasn't. Plenty of loose touches and chaotic shots from range.
ST: Robert Lewandowski - 3/10 - Another ugly showing. Lewandowski also tried but everything seemed to be a little slower than required. Shakhtar got physical with him and he simply couldn't match up.
LW: Ferran Torres - 4/10 - Felt a bit lost out on the wing. Barca's work all ended up going through the middle, leaving Ferran scrapping to get involved.
Substitutes
SUB: Pedri (59' for Romeu) - 5/10
SUB: Joao Felix (59' for Ferran) - 4/10
SUB: Lamine Yamal (59' for Raphinha) - 6/10
SUB: Alejandro Balde (59' for Alonso) - 5/10
SUB: Fermin Lopez (81' for Gavi) - N/A
Subs not used: Inaki Pena (GK), Ander Astralaga (GK), Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Marc Casado
Manager
Xavi - 3/10 - Evidently learned nothing from the Real Sociedad game. Barcelona were abysmal in the final third and Xavi's only solution was to throw on Yamal and hope for the best.
Player of the match: Giorgi Gocholeishvili (Shakhtar Donetsk)
This article was originally published on 90min as Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Barcelona: Player ratings as Barca fall to dismal defeat.
