Ernesto Valverde took a big selection gamble by choosing Ousmane Dembele to start in Barcelona’s crucial Champions League tie against Chelsea, and the Frenchman came good with an excellent performance in his side’s 3-0 win.

Dembele finished off a flowing counter-attack to put Barca up 2-0 in the first half, and contributed all over the pitch to help his side progress into the quarter-finals.

Here’s a closer look at the young attacker’s performance on Wednesday.

BASIC STATS

Goals – 1

Assists – 0

Shots – 1

Shots on target – 1

Pass Accuracy – 78%

Key Passes – 0

Dribbles – 0

Touches – 34

EFFECTIVENESS

Dembele was a livewire throughout, taking advantage of having plenty of space to run into thanks to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez commanding the Chelsea defence’s attention. His own play on the ball was skillful if not spectacular, and he popped up in the right place in the right time to score Barcelona’s second goal – with an excellent finish, as well.

The young Frenchman also impressed with his work-rate, tracking back whenever required and even denying Chelsea an almost certain goal with an excellent tackle.

Dembele’s defensive work rate was just as impressive as his attacking play.

KEY MOMENTS

20th min, GOAL: The moment Dembele’s Barcelona career took off? This goal was largely down to Lionel Messi’s superb vision, but the Frenchman produced an excellent finish to hit put his side up 2-0.

48th min, TACKLE: A contribution that mattered nearly as much as his goal. Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso was in space in the Barcelona box, only for Dembele to emerge from nowhere and deny him with a superb tackle.

RATING – 7/10

It was a big call by Valverde to pick Dembele, and the youngster repaid his manager’s faith. His movement off the ball was excellent, running into the spaces created by Messi and Luis Suarez. When his chance came, he took it with aplomb, putting Barcelona 2-0 up when Chelsea were threatening to equalise.

What was just as impressive was his work rate defensively, which he showcased with that goal-saving tackle. It was a promising performance from a 20-year-old who’s still finding his feet at one of the biggest clubs in the world.