Although the French side did not score any goals, there was one moment of magic when the 22-year-old Italian kept the ball while four Barcelona players tried to close him down. First Busquets tried to dispossess him with a tackle which Verratti rode successfully. He then skipped past Luis Suarez with supreme ease.
The Uruguayan wasn’t done yet and both he and Lionel Messi tried to ‘double-team’ the Italian who escaped the pressing move with one deft touch. He then sold Rakitic a dummy and lobbed the ball to find Blaise Matuidi in the box who couldn’t do much with the chance presented.
But the Camp Nou crowd roared their approval whenever Verratti escaped a challenge and eventually applauded after his lob to Matuidi. Appreciation from rival fans is common in Spain and reserved for the players who do something truly special!
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