Ousmane Dembele was the star of the show as Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win over Ferencvaros in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcelona were on the money from the get-go, asserting their dominance right from the early exchanges. The hosts duly broke the deadlock just 14 minutes in, as Antoine Griezmann delicately flicked the ball into the net following some fine tandem work between Ousmane Dembele and Jordi Alba, who provided the assist for the goal.

Shortly after, Barcelona were two to the good, as Martin Braithwaite finished off a fine team move, with Dembele grabbing the assist this time around. The game was put beyond the reach of hosts Ferencvaros just before the half-hour mark, as Dembele converted from the spot after Braithwaite had been brought down by Abraham Frimpong.

Thereafter, Barcelona went into cruise control mode, so as to preserve the energy levels of the players amid the fixture pile-up. The visitors still had their fair share of chances, with Dembele and Francisco Trincao coming incredibly close to finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Ronald Koeman’s men following an efficient display against Ferencvaros.

Neto: 7/10

Not a lot that Neto had to do, with Barcelona thoroughly dominating the proceedings. The Brazilian was equal to whatever little that Ferencvaros created, making a couple of simple stops. Completed each of the 17 passes he attempted. Would be delighted with the clean sheet.

Sergino Dest: 8/10

Dest has been such a brilliant addition to the Barcelona squad this season and against Ferencvaros on Wednesday, he showed why yet again. The young full-back displayed some sumptuous touches and was a constant outlet down the right flank for Barcelona, even creating a couple of chances for Martin Braithwaite and Antoine Griezmann. The young gem is shining bright.

Oscar Mingueza: 8/10

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Part of the defence for the third successive game, Mingueza impressed yet again. The youngster was always alert to snuff out danger, completing 4 interceptions, winning 3 duels while also making a big block. Looks so comfortable at the back, showing maturity beyond his years. It is now three clean sheets in as many games since Mingueza came in.

Clement Lenglet: 8/10

Having shrugged off a minor ankle injury, Lenglet once again marshalled the backline smartly while showing little effects of the niggle. The Frenchman won each of the 5 duels he contested while also making 3 clearances. Has come of age in the new leadership role in Pique’s absence.

Jordi Alba: 8/10

Alba was on the pitch for just the first half, but he did his part in that time. The Spaniard showed some promising signs while linking up with Ousmane Dembele down the left flank. One such instance saw him combining with Dembele before setting Griezmann up for the opener. Did not waste a moment on the ball and played in a couple of key passes.

Miralem Pjanic: 7.5/10

With Barcelona utterly dominant on the night, Pjanic went about his business without much of a fuss while also attempting to open his account for the club. The Bosnian did come close twice and he got edgier with every attempt. Had the most touches on the night (143) and played the most passes (126/134 completed) as well. A solid presence in midfield.

Sergio Busquets: 7/10

Busquets, like Alba, was on the pitch for just 45 minutes but did well to provide a solid base for the visitors to build a commanding win on. The veteran Spaniard even stitched a fine chance in that time, while misplacing just 4 passes. Won 7 of the 8 duels he contested and was generally quite solid.

Ousmane Dembele: 9/10

The star of the show for Barcelona. Dembele linked up delightfully with Alba in the first half in what could be a sign of things to come. The Frenchman created a couple of superb openings, setting Braithwaite up for his goal. Grabbed a goal himself, converting from the spot in the first half and he really could have finished the game with a hat-trick on another day.

Nevertheless, this kind of purposeful showing will go a long way in helping Dembele nail down his spot as a regular. Koeman will now hope to see this consistently from the young Frenchman.

Antoine Griezmann: 8/10

Griezman showed yet again what he can do when deployed in his favoured position. The French international carried a great deal of threat for the hour he was on the pitch, creating a couple of opportunities. The big moment on the night for Griezmann, though, was his delectable back-heel flick from Alba’s low cross, which was the highlight among the three goals.

Francisco Trincao: 7/10

A frustrating evening for Trincao, who really could have been celebrating a brace or a hat-trick on the night. The Portuguese did all he could to make a difference but missed his efforts narrowly. The youngster could really do with a goal right now and that strike could open the floodgates, ideally.

Martin Braithwaite: 8.5/10

The man in form for Barcelona. Braithwaite continued his fine run against Ferencvaros. Did not see a lot of the ball, but used it efficiently whenever he did. Finished off a fine team move when latching on to Dembele’s lovely pass. Won the penalty and repaid Dembele by letting him take the spot-kick. Now has 4 goals in 3 games and he really could have had more on the night.

SUBSTITUTES

Frenkie de Jong: 7/10

On for Busquets, de Jong continued from where his senior teammate had left off, asserting Barcelona’s dominance on the game. Settled in as a centre-back following the substitution of Lenglet and kept things tight.

Junior Firpo: 7/10

On for Alba, Firpo did reasonably well and was a constant outlet down the left flank. Misplaced just 1 pass during his outing and even created a fine chance. Solid enough defensively.

Carles Alena: 7/10

Settling into the midfield, Alena kept things simple and helped Barcelona see the game out. Even so, he managed to stitch together a key pass.

Riqui Puig: 7/10

Given a rare chance to impress and that is precisely what Puig did. Despite being on the pitch for just the final quarter of the game, the young Spaniard managed to play the most key passes (3) in the game. Really needs to be played a lot more.

Konrad de la Fuente: N/A

A late introduction, Konrad helped see the game out.

Comments 2

  1. Umaru Joshua says:

    I was really impressed with Barcelona yesterday’s performance, I pray they will keep it up. KUDOS to Barcelona

  2. Sapan says:

    Ratings of all are too high. Dest, greizz, dembele are those real brights but others as usual. Opponent were too weak to read the Barcelona passing game. Barca Defence was not up to the level. A lot of ineffective passes, loosing mind in front of goal are the worrying points.

    Overall, it’s a much better performance as a team. Looking forward the game against Juv.

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