Barcelona vs. Valencia: Winners and Losers from Liga Game

Barcelona squeezed out a hard-earned 2-0 victory over Valencia on Saturday thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

The Uruguayan netted in just the first minute, but afterward, a period of immense pressure ensued, as Los Che barraged Claudio Bravo's goal and Dani Parejo missed a penalty.

Barca grew into the match and played far better in the second half, and Messi was able to wrap it up one-on-one with, literally, the last kick of the game.

“This is a great result for us. Maybe we did not have 100 percent fuel we need, hard to recover. But we're happy with our work done," Barca manager Luis Enrique told reporters post-match, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan. The Blaugrana remain top of the Liga table as a result.

Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the game.

Winner: Lionel Messi, Who Scored His 400th Goal for Barcelona

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

In the 93rd minute, with Valencia pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Barcelona sent Lionel Messi through on goal on the counter-attack.

Exhausted from a tough day's work, he limped and hopped toward Diego Alves, saw his chipped effort blocked and then converted the rebound. It was one of the most reluctant finishes you'll ever see, but there have been few more important.

Camp Nou witnessed the Argentinian's 400th goal in Blaugrana colours—an immense feat deserving of the adulation from the stands.

His overall performance was superb, as ESPNFC's Dermot Corrigan tweeted: "Messi been brilliant so far today, doing what team needs in different moments of the game. Holding ball in first half, now arming counters."

Messi was integral to the win and a real grafter in a proper team performance.

Loser: Adriano, Who Got Dominated by Valencia's Right

Alberto Saiz/Associated Press

Adriano doesn't get a lot of game-time, as, despite his versatility—he can play left-back and right-back—Luis Enrique has plenty of options in both positions.

It means any start he gets, he has to make the most of. He got the nod at left-back on Saturday following Jordi Alba's exertions in Paris midweek, but he got completely overrun by Sofiane Feghouli and was hauled off at half-time.

Barcelona looked far better and far more solid in the second half once Jeremy Mathieu filled his position. The former Valencia man roared up the touchline with frequency and initiated several dangerous attacks.

Winner: Nicolas Otamendi, Who Shone at the Back for Valencia

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Any European scouts looking for a top-tier centre-back plying his trade in Europe should look no further than Nicolas Otamendi. He's not going to be cheap, but for anyone looking to pay for the best, this Argentinian should be at the top of their list.

As Barcelona grew into the game in the second half, Otamendi was a one-man band at the back to stop attacks. His dominant performance extended to the other half, too, causing issues at set pieces and winning headers in the box.

Per Sky Sports, he's been linked to Manchester United. This shouldn't come as a surprise.

Loser: Luis Enrique, Who Messed Up His Initial Tactics

Michel Euler/Associated Press

The result tells one story, the performance tells another.

Initially, it looked as though Luis Enrique's odd midfield selection—Javier Mascherano, Sergio Busquets and Xavi as a three—would work, as Busquets slotted a beautiful forward pass into the path of Lionel Messi to spark a Luis Suarez goal.

But from about the third minute onward, the visiting side categorically dominated Barcelona in the first half. Sofiane Feghouli tortured Adriano, Rodrigo got the better of Dani Alves and the centre of Barca's formation caved inward time after time.

The second half was better after a tactical reshuffle—Ivan Rakitic came on and Mascherano was brought into the defensive line—and Enrique did at least fix the problem, but his team could, and perhaps should, have been one or two goals down by half-time.

Fortunately for "Lucho," Valencia were in a profligate mood.

Winner: Javier Mascherano, Who Intervened at Crucial Moments

Fernando Bustamante/Associated Press

B/R's Karl Matchett labelled Javier Mascherano's performance on Saturday as "immense," and it's tough to disagree.

He struggled initially in midfield, but the balance was all wrong and it wasn't his fault. He was moved to centre-back in the second half and excelled, stepping out to quell counters and making one vital intervention, late, on Dani Parejo running through.

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