Lionel Messi knows an audacious bit of skill when he sees it and called a halt to Barcelona training.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner trapped the ball under his foot during a 'Rondo' drill after receiving the ball through the legs of Jordi Alba.
Ousmane Dembele had fired a pass which nutmegged the defender, much to the amusement of Messi and his team-mates.
Scroll down for video...
The £97million signing has struggled to make an impact for the Catalan club on the pitch in a debut season blighted by injury.
But the Frenchman showed a glimpse of his talent, nonchalantly pulling off a nutmeg of the experienced full-back.
No doubt the sight of Messi applauding him will have boosted the 20-year-old who is fighting to secure a starting role in Ernesto Valverde's side.
The 'Rondo' is a classic training drill in the Barcelona camp with players constantly trying to make defenders in the centre look foolish.
It lends itself to Barca's intricate, possession-based style and they will be looking to reap the rewards in their next game, a La Liga fixture against Girona at the Nou Camp on Saturday.
shray_srivastava
161
Haha ! There's something behind it, you won't see Messi doing something like that, the picture is clear, he wants to instill confidence in the youngster who is yet to make a mark in Barcelona, Messi knows that he'll be required going ahead in the competitions like UCL, & league matches. Knowing the way Paulinho performed against Chelsea, we need to create a back up and get Dembele ready for the road ahead, well leo thinks way ahead, and he's doing the correct thing by increasing the confidence of the youngster just like a senior pro should, and Messi doing that for him is only going to boost his morale high. 🔵🔴🔥🔥
zupcdekmru
74
wining team
zupcdekmru
59
iwish to see this tommorow
Dar Danish
47
He built Neymar around him... He knows exactly how to lift Dembele. .. He is Genius in every aspect
i_koda
40
Boosting Dembele's confidence so that he feels that he's needed by the club. Proper guidance provided by all the players and teaching him the Barcelona style is all what we also want. We don't want so much talent to go wasted to we make him feel that he's needed in the club. Great initiative taken by GOAT. Visca el Barca. Barca fans