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Barcelona secured a comfortable 3-0 win at Ferencvaros in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, putting them in pole position to finish top of Group G should they avoid defeat next week.

La Blaugrana had already secured qualification heading into the game and used it as an opportunity to rest star man Lionel Messi once again. His absence didn’t disrupt the side, who were dominant from the first whistle and took the lead after 14 minutes thanks to a clever flick from Antoine Griezmann at the near post.

The hosts couldn’t find a way to stop the visitors, who added their second just six minutes later. Martin Braithwaite popped up in the box to finish off a low cross from Ousmane Dembele, bagging his second Champions League goal so far this season.

?? That’s now 4 goals in 3 games for new Barcelona hero Martin Braithwaite! ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/JmW9XYnmWJ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 2, 2020

Barcelona were keen to get their work tied up early and added a third not long after, capitalising on an impressive spell of play by converting a penalty won by Braithwaite after he was brought down while running through on goal. Dembele, this time, turned goalscorer and made it 3-0 in under half an hour.

Ferencvaros did have the chance to threaten on a few occasions after the break, but truthfully Ronald Koeman’s side never looked like conceding and saw the game out professionally.

It wasn’t quite the 5-1 humbling the Hungarian side received away in Catalonia and gave a decent enough account of themselves, but Barcelona looked focused and determined in maintaining a so far perfect start in this season’s Champions League. Here’s how their players rated.

Neto (GK) – 6/10 – Very easy clean sheet for the Brazilian who had little to do, but kept the ball out of the net when called upon.

Sergino Dest (RB) – 7/10 – Another impressive performance for the young American. Was present when needed for defensive duties and relished the chance to get forward in a game his side dominated.

Oscar Mingueza (CB) – 7/10 – The 21-year-old enjoyed a comfortable second Champions League appearance. Again, quiet in defensive duties but did the job and racked up a 94% pass accuracy.

Clement Lenglet (CB) – 7/10 – Resilient performance from Lenglet much to the delight of Koeman, who feared he would be without the Frenchman through injuries. Vital that he can maintain fitness.

Jordi Alba (LB) – 8/10 – The experienced head at the back led the charge going forward and was a consistent attacking threat down the left in the first half. Created three chances and grabbed an assist for good measure in a strong performance.

Francisco Trincao (RM) – 6/10 – An active game for Trincao, but he’ll be disappointed not to have contributed to the scoreline directly. Barcelona’s best stuff came down the opposite flank, but by no means was it a poor performance.

Miralem Pjanic (CM) – 7/10 – 90 minutes in the tank for Pjanic who made the most of the game and was constantly on the ball. Sprayed passes everywhere for his teammates and was key in keeping the tempo up.

Sergio Busquets (CM) – 7/10 – Much better performance from the veteran midfielder, who kept things ticking while his side burst forward and secured the win. Job done at half time.

Ousmane Dembele (LM) – 9/10 – Dembele just managed to outshine France teammate Griezmann with an incredible performance. Looked a danger every time he touched the ball and had the opposition’s number. Be it a whipped cross or a mazy run and shot of his own, he was electric. Sealed the deal with a cool penalty.

Antoine Griezmann (AM) – 8/10 – Griezmann relished the chance to be the focal point of the side, returning to a much more familiar number ten role and thriving. Constant threat and scored a ridiculous opening goal. Sublime.

December 1st 2018: Martin Braithwaite starts on the bench for Middlesbrough as they lose 3-0 to Aston Villa in the Championship

December 2nd 2020: Martin Braithwaite scores for Barcelona in the Champions League vs. Ferencvaros

? pic.twitter.com/Hrnk8rh42Q

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 2, 2020

Martin Braithwaite (ST) – 8/10 – From the subs bench in Middlesbrough to leading the line for Barcelona, all in the space of two years. It’s still a bit mental to think that Braithwaite is Barcelona’s number nine, but he’s doing the job this season. His goal was his fourth in his last three games, and he won the penalty with a brilliant run.

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When Chelsea went out and spent more than £200m on half of a new starting lineup, it didn’t look good for the futures of some of the fringe players at Stamford Bridge.

The much-maligned defence was bolstered through the signings of Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, while the forward line saw Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner added to the fun.

Those six have justifiably dominated Frank Lampard’s starting lineup so far this season, but with a place in the Champions League knockout stage already sealed and the hectic festive period approaching, the boss gave some of his underused players the chance to impress when the Blues travelled to face Sevilla on Wednesday.

Lampard made nine changes to the side which drew with Tottenham at the weekend, with only Mendy and midfielder Mateo Kovacic retaining their places, and it’s safe to say that the vast majority of those took their chance to shine when it really mattered.

We’ll start with left-back Emerson, who was starting just his second game all season. With Chilwell rested, the Italian was given the chance to prove why he’s ahead of Marcos Alonso in the pecking order, and he did exactly that.

Looking every bit like the player Chelsea believed they were buying when they signed him in 2018, Emerson’s work rate was astounding. At both ends of the field, he could be seen chasing lost causes and working hard for his team, and you’ve have been forgiven for thinking he was actually Chelsea’s starter.

Whether he was trying to force his way into Lampard’s plans or simply make the most of an audition for a move elsewhere – Inter have been linked – it’s safe to say that Emerson’s stock will have risen after Wednesday’s victory.

The same can be said of centre-back duo Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger, both of whom have been heavily criticised for their penchant for catastrophic lapses of concentration. While we’ve seen Rudiger go some way to rebuilding his reputation already this season, this was Denmark international Christensen’s first real chance.

He took the opportunity with both hands, dominating both in the air and on the ground, and he also brought the passing ability which has earned him plenty of plaudits in the past. Playing alongside the composed duo of Rudiger and Mendy looked to have worked wonders.

With the ever-reliable Cesar Azpilicueta on the right, the group combined to limit Sevilla to just two shots on target, which is the sign of a job well done.

One negative, however: Fikayo Tomori desperately needs a loan move.

In attack, there’s not much more that can be said about Olivier Giroud, who followed up his match-saving header against Rennes with a spectacular four-goal haul in Seville, but the performance of winger Callum Hudson-Odoi deserves recognition of its own.

Lampard has spoken openly about the need for Hudson-Odoi to focus on improving his work rate and off-the-ball energy, and we finally saw all of that on full show in Andalusia.

With Azpilicueta barking orders behind him, Hudson-Odoi showed his willingness to drop back into defence to cover for the Spaniard, indicating a discipline which hasn’t always been present in his game.

Lampard still remains committed to Werner and Ziyech, but Hudson-Odoi proved he can be counted on when the moment comes, and that will mean a lot in the boss’ eyes with the aforementioned busy schedule.

Fans are getting excited about Chelsea’s squad depth this year, and understandably so. This was almost an entirely second-string lineup from Lampard, and yet it made last season’s Europa League winners look positively amateurish.

Keeping all of his players happy might well prove to be the real challenge for Lampard, but if he can keep the Blues’ morale high, the depth in this squad could well allow Chelsea to do something special this season.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!

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Juventus earned a 3-0 victory at home to Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday evening as Cristiano Ronaldo notched his 750th career goals.

On the night Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a men’s Champions League match, Federico Chiesa opened the scoring in the 21st minute, nodding in Alex Sandro’s cross after drifting in-field from his starting berth on the right.

?️ Juventus v Dynamo Kyiv
?‍♀️ Stéphanie Frappart

The first woman to referee a men’s #UCL match. ?? pic.twitter.com/Gs2kSyabQr

— 90min (@90min_Football) December 2, 2020

Dynamo were hardly hapless bystanders on the night, enjoying a healthy amount of possession and causing some problems for Juve’s backline in the closing stages of the first half. However, Ronaldo doubled the hosts’ lead shortly before the hour mark, racking up his 750th career goal with arguably the easiest chance he’s ever had.

Alvaro Morata’s attempt at goal bounded kindly into Ronaldo’s path a matter of centimetres from the goal-line. The Spanish frontman did find the net himself in the 66th minute, collecting Chiesa’s pass inside the area before slotting past Heorhiy Bushchan for his ninth goal in 12 games since returning to Juventus in September.

Andrea Pirlo’s side trail group leaders Barcelona by three points going into the final group stage fixture, which, excitingly, is at the home of the Catalan behemoths on Tuesday.

Wojciech Szczesny (GK) – 7/10 – Produced an excellent save when Juventus led by just one goal in the second half but was rarely worked other than that.

Merih Demiral (CB) – 7/10 – Continuing to rack up a string of impressive performances peppered with his infectious proactive approach.

Leonardo Bonucci (CB) – 6/10 – Perhaps fortunate not to have given away a penalty in the first half but resolute otherwise.

Matthijs de Ligt (CB) – 8/10 – Absolute rock at the back throughout the game, breaking up Dynamo’s rare forays forward and quick to spray passes into the final third.

??? ????? ?!#JuveDynamo #JuveUCL #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/tSuwLRri9C

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) December 2, 2020

Federico Chiesa (RWB) – 9/10 – Involved in all three goals, Chiesa was a constant nuisance charging up and down the right flank with frightening regularity.

Weston McKennie (CM) – 8/10 – Brought energy and dynamism to Juve’s midfield, snapping into tackles and often the first to apply pressure to the opposition

Aaron Ramsey (CM) – 5/10 – Struggled to exert any real influence in the game and unsurprisingly included in the first batch of substitutes.

Rodrigo Bentancur (CM) – 7/10 – Was precise with his passing without being pedestrian. Surely it’s only a matter of time before become a regular starter for Pirlo in Serie A.

Alex Sandro (LWB) – 7/10 – Showed little of the rust expected for a player making just his second start of the season.

750 – Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 750th goal among clubs and senior National team, with 10% of these being scored for Juventus. Limitless.#JuveDynamo #UCL pic.twitter.com/Mmm4Xov19x

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) December 2, 2020

Cristiano Ronaldo (ST) – 8/10 – Got his customary goal in a wholly typical performance rife with shots, dribbles and another landmark achievement.

Alvaro Morata (ST) – 8/10 – Continued his wonderful form to net his sixth Champions League goal of the season – the joint-highest tally in the competition and more than his parent club Atletico Madrid can muster combined.

⚪️⚫️ debut! ???#JuveDynamo #JuveUCL #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/rKA5jbzsX5

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) December 2, 2020

Danilo (CB) – 6/10

Federico Bernardeschi (CM) – 7/10

Radu Dragusin (CB) – 6/10

Dejan Kulusevski (RWB) – /610

Arthur Melo (CM) – 6/10

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Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has confessed that he dreams of reuniting with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi next summer.

Alongside Luis Suarez, the pair were part of one of the most dominant attacking trios in football history. During their time at Barcelona between 2014 and 2017, ‘MSN’ managed no less than 364 goals and 171 assists in all competitions.

Neymar put an end to the fun by moving to PSG in 2017, but ever since then, he has been strongly linked with a return to Camp Nou – with Messi often said to be keen to link up with the Brazilian once more.

However, speaking to ESPN after netting twice in PSG’s 3-1 win over Manchester United on Wednesday, Neymar suggested that the reunion could come in Paris as he pleaded with Messi to join him at the Parc des Princes next season.

“I want to play with him again,” Neymar said. “What I want most is to enjoy his company again on the pitch. Next year we have to do that.

“He could even take my spot in the team, there would be no problems for sure. I want to play with him again and for sure next year we have to.”

Messi is out of contract at Barcelona next summer and will have the chance to walk away from Camp Nou for free – something he was desperate to do earlier this year.

It is not yet known whether the departure of unpopular president Josep Maria Bartomeu – and the imminent arrival of his replacement – will be enough to convince Messi to commit his future to Barcelona, and the 33-year-old is said to be waiting until he has a clearer idea of the club’s long-term strategy before making a decision.

Neymar’s return to Barcelona seems unlikely – given the vast financial cost of any prospective deal – but stranger things have happened in football. The Brazilian’s contract in Paris expires in 2022 and the Ligue 1 giants may be forced to sell for a reduced price if he refuses to negotiate an extension.

However, the easiest way to reunite the pair is in the French capital, as PSG would have no problem in accommodating Messi’s sizeable salary.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!

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Sometimes in life, just being able to do your job isn’t enough. People demand more, they expect you to go above and beyond your pay-grade, learn extracurricular skills and become the full package you never promised to be.

No sweat.

In a world where the modern goalkeeper is expected to not only saves shots, but act as an eleventh outfield player, pass the ball as well as any elite-level midfielder and manage 1000 kick ups as a bare minimum, you could forgive the more traditional of shot-stoppers for questioning just where this lust for evolution and all-round perfection came from.

Nowadays, being a solid, hard-to-beat goalkeeper just isn’t enough. That is, unless you are Jan Oblak.

And there’s good reason for this gigantic exception to the typical criteria: Oblak is the best shot-stopper in world football. He covers and surpasses every basic requirement of the traditional goalkeeper, making himself the hardest man to put the ball past in the sport.

Even in today’s advanced game, that has to count for something.

La Liga Save Percentages (*at the time of writing)

2014/15 – 75%
2015/16 – 81.8%
2016/17 – 80%
2017/18 – 83.3%
2018/19 – 82.1%
2019/20* – 93.5%

The Slovenian joined current club Atletico Madrid in 2014, as Diego Simeone’s charges went in search of an adequate replacement for the departing Thibaut Courtois. It was going to be difficult finding a comparable alternative to the Belgian star, but somehow, the recruitment staff managed to go one better.

There has never been a more suitable fit between club and player than Oblak and Atleti. Coached by the pragmatic and blue-collar Simeone, the shot-stopper’s first, second and third requirements are – well, exactly that: stop shots.

The keeper embodies his leader on the field. No fancy footwork, no playing out from the back, no sombreros over onrushing attackers. Just start the game with a clean sheet, and end it with one. And he has ticked this box with aplomb. Oblak is world class in his own way.

Statistically, the Slovenian keeper is the best in Spain – and one of the greatest in La Liga’s long history.

“We have a goalkeeper who is the best in the world, no doubt. I have been saying that for some time. It’s like Barcelona who have Messi. He decides games with his attacking play; Oblak resolves them with his saves.”

– Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid manager

In June 2020, Oblak wrote his name into the record books, becoming the fastest goalkeeper to reach 100 clean sheets in Spanish top-flight history – it took him a mere 182 appearances, for those of you asking. That’s 40 games – effectively an entire season – fewer than previous record holder Miguel Reina.

Over the next 18 matches, the 27-year-old kept a further 12 clean sheets, taking his tally to 112 from 200 games played. Frightening numbers. He also leads the way for the most shots saved and held in La Liga by a considerable distance..

Admittedly, Oblak plays in front of the best-drilled defence in Europe, but that shouldn’t detract from his own personal contributions to this avalanche of blanks.

He has rightly earned this reputation as an unbeatable brick wall which precedes him before every match. Oblak is the Ivan Drago of the goalkeeping world. There is nothing flash about him. He turns up, breaks opposing strikers until they concede to his superiority, and then goes home.

Just stepping onto the field is now half the battle towards scooping another clean sheet. But when called into action, Oblak doesn’t disappoint. He has regularly boasted a save percentage of around 80% – which compared to world’s most expensive goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (54% in 2019/20), that’s a giant leap.

This consistency and unbreakable mental strength is the foundation on which Atleti are built. The entire team recognises that scoring one goal is often all they need. Do the business once at one end, and Oblak will do it for 90 minutes at the other.

He gave England a taste of just how frustratingly good he is in the 2019/20 Champions League clash with Liverpool, where he almost single-handedly knocked the holders out of the tournament at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had 34 shots over the 120 minutes, with 11 of those landing on target. Fortunately, Oblak was in the form of his life, producing an array of stops from close range, long distance and repelling a barrage of balls into the box. It was the most saves in a single match in that edition of the competition. Anyone surprised still?

Atletico won the tie in extra-time, but there was one reason why they got there…

One big, Slovenian reason.

Jan Oblak was a man inspired last night ? pic.twitter.com/1mK1BWULj7

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 12, 2020

It was attack vs defence, or more accurately, attack vs Oblak. On that day, he triumphed against the most feared and dangerous forward line in Europe. Of course, the whole backline played their part that night, but it all starts with his contribution in goal.

That tactic has served Atleti well for the past half-decade. Although Simeone’s men have not won La Liga with their Slovenian superstar between the sticks, they have bagged a Europa League, a UEFA Super Cup and finished runners up in the 2015/16 Champions League.

Obviously, their clean sheet machine has been honoured individually, too, earning La Liga’s Best Goalkeeper award from 2016-19 without fail. Richly deserved, too.

The ease at which Oblak plays the game is frightening for the neutral, and soul-destroying for those he plays against. He possesses every necessary trait to the nth degree when building the perfect traditional goalkeeper and much like Drago, looks as if he’s been constructed in a lab; rippling muscles, the wing span of an eagle, and the stare of a man who is ready to demolish all before him.

Of course, in the cinematic world, Drago was eventually defeated by his (and everybody’s) kryptonite, Rocky Balboa. Only, the Rocky Balboa of strikers has yet to be discovered.

So for now, Drago vicariously lives on through Oblak, crushing all in his wake.

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