Advantage of Lionel Messi: Why Ousmane Dembele is the key hopes of the Champions League of Barcelona

That night, the Barcelona players still have cold sweats.

The defeat in Rome was a season crusher, a disaster, a stain on the club that only intensified as rivals Real Madrid grabbed their third league win champions in three years.

Barcelona went to the Italian capital last April with a 4-1 lead since the first leg, one foot in the semifinals. They left the tail between the legs after a crushing 3-0 defeat that inflicted a deep cut to the soul of the club.

The one who is still healing, and maybe raising the trophy will eventually fix it. This is the first goal of Barcelona this season, which the Catalans have not hidden.

The speech by Lionel Messi during their friendly curtain-raising match at the Camp Nou in August showed how the skipper of Barcelona – and by extension the club – wants to win the Champions League.

The key to this locked door is Ousmane Dembele.

Valverde put the Frenchman on the sideline last season in Rome, although his attributes would have been perfect to help Barcelona to hit the hosts at rest as they were attacking with abandon to try to recover the total score.

Dembele was finally called in the 85th minute, but it was far too late to save the Blaugrana, as Kostas Manolas' third goal was decisive.

In mitigation for Valverde, Dembele was not the same player as he is now.

The injuries stifled his first season. The former star of Borussia Dortmund struggled for form and form, with incoherent demonstrations and difficulties to adapt to club life, which meant that the coach could not count on him.

Almost a year later, Dembele finally turned the page and as Barcelona heads to his native France to face Olympique Lyonnais on Tuesday, their 147 million euro weapon is ready to explode.

On a staff level it is also the opportunity for him to put some things in the clear.

In France, Dembele is perceived through the prism of his controversies, such are the stories that catch the eye of the public.

The winger did not win a starting spot in the national team, he only participated in short cameos during the World Cup in Russia. Without shining in a "big" match for Barcelona either, his success is pbaded over in silence.

His position on the scale between clown and genius is still debated in France.

Barcelona fans, however, fully appreciate the transformation that Dembele has gone through and how vital it has become.

After being touted on the transfer list, the striker is now a crucial cog in the Barca attack. In the last few weeks following a premature sprained ankle, the team faltered without him.

Philippe Coutinho completes the left flank, but offers none of the speed or skill that Dembele combines with so much efficiency.

Saturday against Real Valladolid, Dembele started for the first time since setback and showed flashes of his best before being removed to rest for Tuesday.

"We are sometimes on the counter and I can not get there on time!" Said Luis Suarez Diario Sport.

"I can not do it and Leo is still late [Dembele]. We say "it's going very fast, we'll never catch it!"

"When he starts running, we have to start further than him to be there at the right time. Otherwise, it is impossible to follow.

Uruguayans can joke, but having such a fast player is a huge plus for him and Messi, as Neymar was before his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

What makes Barcelona happy is that the conversation around Dembele now focuses only on its quality and not on its unprofessional habits.

Suarez was one of the few teammates to publicly reprimand Dembele earlier in the season, telling him to be more responsible.

In the late evening, his junk food consumption and lack of time threatened to derail his season after a promising start.

But Dembele cleaned up his act. He is training well now, with a good attitude. Nelson Semedo and Valverde have attested this fact. And it only remains to Dembele to produce in games that matter.

His last draw against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano at the end of November was the first step in the right direction.

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"I had a good time on the bench, but that's normal because in a season, there are always hard times," said Dembele, who knows exactly what he needs to produce and when.

"I have confidence in myself and I will continue to try to do what I can do and be decisive. It's important to score in key moments. "

The first of a series is fast approaching, while Barcelona, ​​in pursuit of the Champions League, goes to Lyon.