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A vintage first-half performance and goals from Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, and Martin Braithwaite saw Barcelona defeat Ferencvaros by a comfortable 3-0 margin in the UEFA Champions League earlier today. The Catalan giants are at the top of Group G and will face Andrea Pirlo's Juventus next week in a clash that will determine Barcelona's opponents in the Round of 16.
Ronald Koeman opted to rest Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho for this game and Barcelona did not seem to miss their attacking stalwarts as the likes of Griezmann and Dembele shouldered the creative burden with ease against Ferencvaros. Barcelona slowed the pace of the game in the second half and can now go into this weekend's La Liga fixture with a well-rested side.
Barcelona thrash Ferencvaros to maintain flawless run in Champions League
Barcelona dominated the ball in the opening stages of the game and camped in Ferencvaros' half of the pitch. The Catalan giants had an excellent chance to open the scoring after some good work by Sergino Dest but Martin Braithwaite narrowly missed the target from close range.
The Ferencvaros resistance did not last long, however, as Antoine Griezmann ran on to the end of a Jordi Alba cross and gave Barcelona the lead with an exquisite finish. Martin Braithwaite doubled Barcelona's lead only minutes later to give the Blaugrana a comfortable cushion before the half-hour mark.
Barcelona piled further misery on to Ferencvaros as the first half progressed with Martin Braithwaite winning a penalty for his side. Ousmane Dembele stepped up for Barcelona and gave the Catalans a three-goal lead.
Ferencvaros nearly stunned Barcelona on the counter in the opening stages of the second half with David Siger nearly finding the top corner with his curling effort. Barcelona took their foot off the pedal and did allow Ferencvaros a significant bout of possession.
The Hungarians came close yet again with arguably their best chance of the match but substitute Roko Baturina failed to beat Neto in Barcelona's goal. The Catalan giants responded with a searing counter-attack that culminated in a disappointing miss from Francisco Trincao.
Ousmane Dembele found a flurry of chances come his way towards the end of the game but failed to add to Barcelona's lead. The Catalans saw off a few Ferencvaros attacks in the latter stages of the second half and will be thrilled with their third consecutive clean sheet.
Ferencvaros Player Ratings
Denes Dibusz - 5.5/10
Denes Dibusz was nutmegged for the first goal but could do very little about Barcelona's excellent passages of play in the first half. The goalkeeper did well to stop a few shots from Ousmane Dembele after the hour-mark.
Abraham Frimpong - 4.5/10
Abraham Frimpong had a torrid night against Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite and struggled to keep up with Barcelona's fluid movement in the first half. Frimpong improved in the second half but will be disappointed with his performance in the first half-hour of the game.
Miha Blazic - 5/10
Miha Blazic was only slightly better than some of his defensive counterparts and struggled against Ousmane Dembele throughout the game. The centre-back was not directly responsible for any of the goals but did not have a positive outing.
Lasha Dvali - 6/10
Lasha Dvali was arguably the pick of the defenders on the night and had to repel Francisco Trincao for most of the night. The centre-back was comfortable with the ball at his feet and gave a good account of himself against Barcelona.
Marcel Heister - 5.5/10
Marcel Heister did not have a particularly good game for Ferencvaros and struggled against Barcelona's Sergino Dest. The left-back was replaced by Gergo Lovrencsis at the hour-mark.
Endre Botka - 4/10
Endre Botka was taken apart by Jordi Alba and Ousmane Dembele and was visibly unable to handle the two Barcelona speedsters. The Ferencvaros right-back did keep Junior Firpo quiet but was no match for Dembele's pace.
Somalia - 6/10
Somalia was not at his best against Barcelona and lost the ball on multiple occasions in the first half. The midfielder did initiate a few counter-attacks but was unable to trouble Barcelona's back-line.
David Siger - 6/10
David Siger was one of Ferencvaros' better players on the night and nearly scored a goal for his side in the second half. The Hungarian veteran was booked in the first half and was eventually replaced by Aissa Laidouni.
Myrto Uzuni - 5.5/10
Myrto Uzuni was out of his depth against Barcelona and barely had a touch of the ball in the first half. The Albanian winger struggled against the Catalan midfield and was taken off in the second half.
Isael da Silva Barbosa - 6/10
Isael da Silva Barbosa was one of the few Ferencvaros players that drove forward in the first half in an attempt to change the course of the match. The winger did push into the penalty area on a few occasions but was unable to create concrete chances against Barcelona.
Tokmac Nguen - 6/10
Tokmac Nguen put in a tireless shift for Ferencvaros but was largely isolated for most of the game. The talented forward did make a few good runs in the second half but was unable to influence the game.
Substitutes
Gergo Lovrencsics - 7/10
Gergo Lovrencsics was arguably the best Ferencvaros player on the pitch and had a considerable impact on the game during his 30 minutes on the pitch. The left-back set up his side's best chance of the match and stood firm against Francisco Trincao towards the end of the game.
Aissa Laidouni - 7/10
Aissa Laidouni also had an excellent game and wrested control of the midfield in the second half. The midfielder found himself in an excellent position near Barcelona's penalty area after his introduction but was unable to find the back of the net.
Roko Baturina - 6.5/10
Roko Baturina played his part against Barcelona in the second half and nearly scored a consolation goal for his side with a header that was saved by Neto. Baturina held the ball well for Ferencvaros and showed plenty of promise in his cameo appearance.
Robert Mak - 6/10
Robert Mak replaced Myrto Uzuni in the second half and was largely an improvement over the Hungarian forward against Barcelona.
Ihor Kharatin - 6/10
Ihor Kharatin was brought on to the pitch for the last 10 minutes of the game and did not have much of an impact against Barcelona.
Also Read: Athletic Bilbao vs Celta Vigo prediction, preview, team news and more | La Liga 2020-21
Barcelona Player Ratings
Neto - 6.5/10
Neto was a mere spectator in the first half and had precious little to do against Ferencvaros. The Barcelona shot-stopper stepped up with a few saves in the second half and was confident with his distribution.
Oscar Mingueza - 7/10
Oscar Mingueza has kept three consecutive clean sheets for Barcelona and put in a composed performance against Ferencvaros. The La Masia youngster made important blocks throughout the game and seems to have an excellent future at the club.
Clement Lenglet - 6/10
Clement Lenglet did not have much to do against Ferencvaros and was tidy with his distribution. The French centre-back did lose the ball in Barcelona's penalty area on one occasion but was spared by the offside flag.
Jordi Alba - 8/10
Jordi Alba was heavily involved in Barcelona's build-up play and bagged a well-deserved assist for his side's opening goal. The left-back was at his best against Ferencvaros and got his assist in the first half with a low cross into the path of Antoine Griezmann.
Sergino Dest - 7.5/10
Sergino Dest has been one of Barcelona's most promising players over the past month and caught the eye with yet another energetic performance. The American teenager created a few chances in the first half and was reliable against Ferencvaros' counter-attacks.
Sergio Busquets - 6.5/10
Sergio Busquets had a shaky start to the game but grew into his role in Barcelona's double pivot and won the ball back for his side on several occasions. The Catalan veteran was booked in the first half and was replaced by Frenkie de Dong after half-time.
Miralem Pjanic - 6.5/10
Miralem Pjanic had a comfortable game but was unable to control the tempo of the match in the second half. The Bosnian midfielder was accurate with his passes but needs to be better to stake his claim in Barcelona's midfield.
Francisco Trincao - 6/10
Francisco Trincao did have a few positive moments but has plenty of work to do on his final product. The Portuguese winger is yet to score a goal for Barcelona and his shocking miss in the second half will do him no favours in what is a competitive Catalan squad.
Antoine Griezmann - 8/10
Antoine Griezmann finally seems to have found his feet at Barcelona. The former Atletico Madrid striker scored the first goal of the game with a brilliant clipped finish and thoroughly enjoyed himself on the pitch. Griezmann also set up Martin Braithwaite on several occasions against Ferencvaros and enjoyed plenty of freedom on the night.
Ousmane Dembele - 7.5/10
Ousmane Dembele had an excellent first half and gave Endre Botka nightmares with his pace and dribbling prowess. The Frenchman bagged an assist for Martin Braithwaite's goal and scored his penalty with consummate ease. Dembele was given the captain's armband in the second half and had several chances to score another goal towards the end of the game.
Martin Braithwaite - 8/10
Martin Braithwaite has hit a purple patch with Barcelona and built on his exceptional streak this season with a well-taken goal in the first half. The Danish striker could have added to his tally on several occasions and troubled Ferencvaros with his pace and positional sense. Braithwaite exceeded expectations yet again for Barcelona and also won a penalty for his side.
Substitutes
Junior Firpo - 6/10
Junior Firpo replaced Jordi Alba in the second half and failed to have much of an impact for Barcelona in the final third. The left-back had a quiet game and was not troubled by Ferencvaros' right flank.
Frenkie de Jong - 6/10
Frenkie de Jong came on for Sergio Busquets at half-time and saw surprisingly little of the ball in Barcelona's midfield. The Dutch prodigy dropped into a defensive role after Clement Lenglet's substitution at the hour-mark.
Riqui Puig - 7/10
Riqui Puig played a role in several Barcelona attacks towards the end of the game and handed Ousmane Dembele two golden opportunities on a silver platter. The young midfielder put in an energetic shift against Ferencvaros and will want more opportunities under Ronald Koeman.
Carles Alena - 6.5/10
Carles Alena had a positive outing in the second half and won possession for Barcelona on several occasions towards the end of the game. The midfielder is growing under Ronald Koeman and will want to push for a more regular role in Barcelona's midfield.
Konrad de la Fuente - 6/10
Konrad de la Fuente was a late substitute against Ferencvaros and did not have enough time to make an impact on the game.
