Ousmane Dembele has made headlines in the past week for his unprofessional habits but grabs a few for the right reasons now having scored a late equaliser for Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Diego Costa seemed to have snatched victory for Atletico Madrid when he headed home from Antoine Griezmann’s corner in the 77th minute.
However, there was more drama to come in a game that was starved of goal-mouth action as Dembele came on as a late substitute and latched on to Lionel Messi’s pass to score a 90th-minute equaliser and secure a 1-1 draw.
Here, we rate the performances of Barcelona’s players.
STARTING XI
Marc-Andre ter Stegen – Not much he could’ve done to prevent the goal and didn’t have any other saves to make. Excellent on the ball as always. 5
Nelson Semedo – Always looked a little nervy at the back but was full of confidence when driving forward. 6
Gerard Pique – No glaring mistakes this time which is a notable improvement. Got a crucial touch to put Diego Costa off in front of goal. 7
Samuel Umtiti – The defence looks better with his return but he did get caught in possession by Antoine Griezmann who nearly went on to set up a goal while he let Diego Costa get under his skin. 6
Jordi Alba – A couple of good recovery runs from him though he seemed to have the handbrake on when going forward. 5
Sergi Roberto – Tucked into midfield and helped Barca dominate possession while supporting Semedo but had to go off injured just before the break. 6
Arturo Vidal – Still doesn’t look quite on the same wavelength with his team-mates but is gradually improving. Certainly added some much-needed steel in midfield. 6
Sergio Busquets – Anchored the midfield well but did get the ball nicked off him a couple of times. 6
Arthur – Found it congested in midfield at times but was largely sharp enough to cope with the challenge. 6
Lionel Messi – A few wayward passes and loose touches from the maestro who was shackled for most of the game but eventually produced one moment of class to set up a late equaliser. 7
Luis Suarez – Anonymous in the first half with most of the game played behind him. Grew frustrated as time went on and tried to force the issue to no avail. 4
SUBS
Rafinha Alcantara – Looked good in midfield but was bettered by Costa for the goal. 4
Ousmane Dembele – Comes on late and reminds everyone what he’s capable of with the all-important equaliser. N/A
Malcom – Was only on for the last five minutes but looked lively. N/A
