Barcelona were made to work hard in the second half but were ultimately good value for their 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Camp Nou.
Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong scored the goals that mattered that moved the Blaugrana up the table and into Champions League contention.
Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
But who were the best and worst performers from both sides?
✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE
Lionel Messi: 7.8
It may seem cliche, and to the watching viewers it may seem that Messi had a quiet match by his own high standards.
He did, but he's still a genius. Messi completed four dribbles, double anyone else on the pitch, as well as provided the pre-assist pass for Frenkie de Jong's winning goal. His influence on this team remains huge even on nights like this where it isn't immediately obvious.
Pedri: 7.2
This 18-year-old is set to become a darling of the Camp Nou for years to come, and unless Barcelona make a mistake they have a generational player on their hands.
Pedri's developing in performance and maturity with every week, and that's surely no more clear than the fantastic last-man tackle he put in on Alexander Isak to prevent a certain goal and led to him colliding with the post. He gave everything and there's so, so much more to come.
⭐ STAR MAN
Frenkie de Jong: 7.9
Arguably one of his most positive performances in a Barcelona shirt, De Jong was on the front foot for much of the contest, having a 90% pass completion while also making six recoveries in the process. He also won 3/4 of his aerial battles.
But his most important contribution proved to be the winning goal, getting into the box - which he doesn't do enough - to slot home from close range and secure what proved to be a vital winning goal for the Catalan giants.
Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
Frenkie de Jong 
Barcelona 
Real Sociedad 
Real Madrid 
