[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Barcelona beat Villarreal 2-1 at Camp Nou on Tuesday in a game that saw the return of Ousmane Dembele.

Snapshot

It was not a perfect game for Barca; they took a 2-0 lead but Santi Cazorla scored before half-time and the Yellow Submarine continued to put the Catalan giants under pressure.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lionel Messi was injured prior to half-time, leading to manager Ernesto Valverde handing Dembele his second appearance of the season.

Dembele was injured after the curtain-raiser against Athletic Bilbao but now appears to be nearing his best following his comeback.

The best is yet to come

It’s pretty understandable that Dembele’s first appearance after a lay-off was not as outstanding as it could have been.

But the most important thing is that the Frenchman showed glimpses of the skills that he possesses.

In the 45 minutes he spent on the pitch of the Camp Nou, Dembele registered two key passes, one dribble and three crosses from a total of 42 touches.

While he may not have come off the bench to hit the back of the net, Dembele is, at the very least, back on the field of play.

Besides, if Messi is set to spend any significant amount of time on the sidelines, the Blaugrana will need the Frenchman at his best.

His first appearance since his injury will have whetted the appetite of many fans; it remains to be seen if he can build on it.