The Argentine defender is arguably Barcelona's most controversial player when it comes to fans opinion over quality.
Did Javier Mascherano have a great game or a so-so game against Malaga? It's hard to say without revealing what your opinion on the player is in general.
The Argentine defender made two superlative interventions as Barcelona's individual errors nearly cost them in the first half. First, recovering after Thomas Vermaelen's slip to make a heroic last man tackle in the box, then making another superb sliding challenge after a Claudio Bravo pass was intercepted near the area.
With about a half hour gone, Barcelona's clean sheet could be credited in large part to the Argentine.