There were times in Turin when you could just about glimpse the
Barcelona that had once been, and the Barcelona they were trying to become. For a club desperate to shrug off its fetid present, that at least must represent progress. Ousmane Dembélé’s early goal and Lionel Messi’s late penalty were good enough to see off
Juventus. A more clinical Barcelona might even have won by more. But this was a good night for Ronald Koeman’s side; and how rarely we have been able to say that of late.
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