Ousmane Dembele put on another stellar show as Barcelona hung on for a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in the Champions League.
With Barca already assured of top spot in the group, Ernesto Valverde fielded an under-strength side with several academy products getting a chance to prove themselves.
Here’s a look at how they fared.
STARTING XI
Jasper Cillessen 8 – The biggest reason Barcelona’s unbeaten home record in the Champions League stayed in tact, as Cillessen produced a couple of excellent saves.
Nelson Semedo 5 – Tottenham found a lot of joy down his flank, attacking that side relentlessly until the pressure finally told. Barcelona’s right-back was their weakest link.
Clement Lenglet 7 – Produced a couple of crucial interventions at the back, frustrating Tottenham with his excellent defending.
Thomas Vermaelen 5 – Couldn’t handle the pace of Tottenham’s attack, with Barcelona’s high line often caught out because of Vermaelen’s lack thereof.
Juan Miranda 6 – The better of Barcelona’s two full-backs, though he struggled at times with Moussa Sissoko’s robustness. Definitely won the duel of young full-backs against Kyle Walker-Peters.
Arthur 6 – Another solid display in midfield from the Brazilian, whose passing ability continues to astound.
Carles Alena 7 – Barcelona’s best midfielder on the night – not a bad thing to say about a player on his Champions League debut.
Ivan Rakitic 6 – Looked like he was trying too hard to reproduce his heroics from Barcelona’s earlier win against Spurs this season, looking for the spectacular rather than keeping things simple.
Ousmane Dembele 8 – Another excellent display from the young Frenchman. Scored a brilliant goal and had Tottenham’s defence on toast throughout, though he faded in the second half.
Munir 5 – Given the opportunity to make his case for more minutes, Munir had little impact for Barcelona.
Philippe Coutinho 8 – A brilliant display from Coutinho, who threatened to make something happen every time he touched the ball. Unlucky not to score – he hit the post twice.
SUBSTITUTES
Sergio Busquets 6 – Brought on to help Barca keep control of the game, but Tottenham were actually more dominant after he replaced Rakitic in midfield.
Lionel Messi 6 – Lionel Messi is human. Tottenham may have despaired after seeing him come off the bench, but the Barca talisman barely had an impact after coming on.
Denis Suarez 6 – Came on with 15 minutes left, and did little of note during his cameo.
