Barcelona ratings v Osasuna: Lionel Messi pulls the strings, Ilaix Moriba 'won't forget this day as long as I live'

Barcelona run out 2-0 winners away to Osasuna in La Liga

BARCELONA RATINGS: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 8, Made some great saves to maintain the clean sheet, with his denial of Kike Barja’s strike that was destined for the top corner being the best of the lot. AFP

Oscar Mingueza - 7, Was authoritative in his defending and also looked comfortable when roaming forward, playing some great passes. There were a few moments in the first half where he seemed to lose concentration. Reuters

Clement Lenglet - 7, Looked very comfortable on the ball, but he did play a wayward pass that put Samuel Umtiti in a tough position. Was dominant defensively throughout most of the game. Reuters

Samuel Umtiti - 6, Made a good block to deny Roberto Torres, but was booked for a foul on the same man after Lenglet’s poor pass. Reuters

Sergino Dest - 6, Worked brilliantly to keep the ball in tight spaces, showing quick feet while getting forward a lot in the first half. Could have done more to stop crosses into the box in the second half. Reuters

Frenkie de Jong - 7, The Dutchman’s role was tweaked multiple times throughout the game, but he looked comfortable in all of them, rarely putting a foot wrong. Reuters

Sergio Busquets - 6, Some of Busquets’ play was very loose, as a couple of passes were misplaced while he wanted too much time in the first minute. With this said, his in-game intelligence came through in large periods. Reuters

Jordi Alba - 8, Executed a great run behind the Osasuna defence and finish for the opening goal. The wing-back also displayed brilliant defensive awareness when called upon. Reuters

Lionel Messi - 8, Orchestrated so much of Barcelona’s play and set up the opener with a wonderful pass to Alba, before assisting Ilaix’s goal. Forced a good save from Sergio Herrera with an effort from range. AFP

Antoine Griezmann - 6, Had a quiet game as he found it difficult to get involved in the build up play, with his quality only being shown in glimpses. Reuters

Pedri - 7, There was intelligence shown in the teenager’s movement and passing. There were periods in the first half where he struggled to get onto the ball, but that changed when the formation turned to 4-3-3 and he played an important role in the second goal. Reuters

SUB Ousmane Dembele (Umtiti HT) - 6, His pace in behind the Osasuna defence posed a threat at times, but he was rarely able to convert that into clear opportunities. Reuters

SUB Martin Braithwaite (Griezmann 67’) - 5, Was quiet for a lot of his time on the pitch but came close to carving out a chance for Messi. AFP

SUB Ilaix Moriba (Busquets 67’) - 7, Moved the ball well and created some openings with clipped balls behind the defence. Scored his first senior goal with a superb strike from outside the box that went right into the top corner. AFP

SUB Riqui Puig (Pedri 87’) – N/R, Worked well receiving and releasing the ball in tight spaces and was neat in his play. AFP

SUB Junior Firpo (Alba 87’) – N/R, Was booked within seconds of getting onto the pitch but didn’t let this impact him as he helped Barcelona keep a clean sheet. AFP

Coach Ronald Koeman hailed Barcelona's next generation of exciting talents after 18-year-old Ilaix Moriba became the latest teenager to make his mark by scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win at Osasuna on Saturday.

Barca fielded seven players aged 23 or under but substitute Ilaix made the biggest impact, smashing into the net from outside the box to clinch victory after Jordi Alba had broken the deadlock.

As a player under great Dutch coach Johan Cruyff, Koeman was part of a Barca side fuelled by youngsters including Pep Guardiola and he is now overseeing a team crammed with youthful talent.

"The most important thing for me is that the players are competitive. For me age doesn't count, what counts is what I see on the pitch," Koeman told reporters after Barca moved to within two points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

Koeman praised the impact of fellow Dutchman Frenkie de Jong and US international Sergino Dest, big-money recruits from Ajax, as well as homegrown players such as Oscar Mingueza, Ilaix, Riqui Puig and forward Ansu Fati.

"In the Netherlands, it's much easier to field young players because the championship doesn't have as much quality as the Spanish league but there's also a lot of talent in Barcelona's academy," he said.

"These players deserve the opportunities they are getting. If we keep playing like this we can win things, and if we can do this while playing with youngsters, even better.

"Players like Pedri, Ilaix, Riqui, Mingueza and Ronald Araujo have proven they have a great future. And as a coach I've always given youngsters a chance as they're the future of a club."

Koeman singled out midfielder Ilaix for praise after his third league game.

"He scored a great goal. Every time he comes into the team he gives us something extra. He's great with the ball and is a strong young lad too. He's doing everything he needs to get more first team opportunities," he said.

Ilaix was also delighted with his goal.

"I won't forget this day as long as I live," he said.