Messi & Ansu Fati's partnership shows early promise for Barcelona

The best place to get to know Lionel Messi's palate is on the pitch. You just have to focus on the players that he looks for without even lifting his head. Equally, it's worth watching who he doesn't look for. Ansu Fati's already in the first group. That was clear in the second half at Granada, where Messi regularly turned to the 16-year-old. 

It's a striking image because Barça put the task of turning the game around in a teenager's hands (along with Messi). And the good news is that he responded. He wanted the ball and he took players on. Not everything came off but it wouldn't for a player of his tender age. But he showed promising chemistry with Messi. 

The best Barça of the game came through their connection. Ansu made 19 passes (84.2 percent success rate) and was involved 25 times in 45 minutes. Messi was involved 48 times in his 45 minutes and was his side's main threat after the break. 

The introduction of Messi and Ansu led to a change of system. Ernesto Valverde switched to a 4-2-3-1, with Messi, Ansu and Griezmann behind Suarez. It was Ansu who seemed to understand best what the coach wanted. His ability to run at players on the left opened the pitch up more than Griezmann on the right, who looked inside.