Amid criticism over his compatibility and fitness at Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele has been making his case through impactful performances for the La Liga champions.
After scoring a last-gasp equaliser off the bench last week against Atletico Madrid, the 21-year-old was given a second-straight start thanks to Luis Suarez‘s injury.
Dembele repaid his manager with an electric performance, full of verve and skill, as he helped Barca to a 2-0 win over Villarreal.
Here’s a closer look at his performance.
KEY STATS
Goals – 0
Assists – 1
Shots – 3
Shots on target – 1
Passing Accuracy – 77%
Key Passes – 4
Dribbles – 8
30-SECOND REPORT
Dembele started on the right of a 4-3-3, taking up Lionel Messi‘s usual berth as the Barcelona captain played centrally for the second-straight game. The young Frenchman put in a lively display, with his dribbling skills catching the eye again.
He got the assist for La Blaugrana’s first goal with a pinpoint cross, and was a threat to Villarreal’s defence throughout. Though he gave away possession cheaply at times, this was a dazzling display.
GOT RIGHT
Dribbling
Dribbling is Dembele’s forte, and he was at it again on Sunday. Time and again he would beat his man with some clever footwork, bringing Camp Nou to its feet. And what he did to Villarreal’s Alfonso Pedraza was cruel.
Ousmane Dembele out there ending careers..pic.twitter.com/hwrpXk8sM1
— ASG (@ahadfoooty) December 2, 2018
8 - Ousmane Dembélé completed eight of his 10 dribbles against Villarreal, more than in any other game for @FCBarcelona in all competitions. Danger. pic.twitter.com/Dlu93gcNMr
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) December 2, 2018
Chance creation
His cross for Pique’s goal was a peach. In total he put in nine crosses, most of which challenged the Villarreal back line, though only three found a team-mate. His four key passes tied with Lionel Messi for the game’s high mark.
GOT WRONG
Passing
Dembele was the only Barcelona player with a passing accuracy of less than 89 per cent – and it was far below that, at 77 per cent. He attempts some ambitious passes when a simpler one will do, a trait that was on display again here. That sums up why he can be an odd fit for Barca.
Too many times, a Dembele pass attempt ended up with possession being squandered. Either his passing needs to improve, or everything else needs to be good enough to mask it.
The thing about Dembele is you can always rely upon him to create danger. Just sometimes it's for his own team by giving the ball away.
— Andy West (@andywest01) December 2, 2018
VERDICT
Dembele has a point to prove after the criticism he’s faced from his manager, his team-mates, and pundits in recent weeks. There’s no doubting his talent, and even his ability to have an impact in a Barcelona shirt, but whether he can adapt and play the “Barcelona way” has been the sticking point.
On Sunday, he took a forward step. Though his passing wasn’t up to the Barca standard, everything else was. One of his best performances in a Barcelona shirt.
RATING – 9/10
