Highly entertaining game, a street fight in a junkyard stadium with a great home crowd, a dubious ref, and an opponent punching above their weight.
Team overall played quite well.
1. Pedrito - right place, right time; as always, excellent at timing his runs; this game, Rayo gave Barça the space that Pedro thrives in. The first goal also required the precise placement that is also a Pedro trademark.
2. Messi - Rayo had no answer for him, and he carved them apart, setting up the first goal and potentially many others.
3. Valdes- must include a defensive player, and Valdes tops the list with his saves that kept Rayo from getting a foot in the game.
Honorable mentions:
Neymar - also created constant problems for Rayo; like Messi, doing the hard work to set up Pedro, and nearly scored himself
Xavi- impeccable game from the maestro; extraordinary, considering Rayo's pressure and the pitch
Mascherano - always the first to read attacking threats in the final third and snuffing out many of them