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Tottenham have a bit of a reputation of being tight with their money, but they have spent plenty of cash this century

Tottenham Hotspur have done a fine job in becoming one of the Premier League's so-called big six over the course of the last decade or so after languishing in mid-table team at the start of the century.

Much of that upward trend is down to some strong decision making at board level and having a clear philosophy as to what they represent.

Their resurgence has not been cheap, though, as they have have been spending freely to get to where they are now.

Although Spurs have only surpassed the £50 million mark on two occasions, with both Tanguy Ndombele and Richarlison costing £50m+, they have not held back when it comes to quantity.

And it's fair to say that approach hasn't always paid off!

Luka Modric was a phenomenal signing at just over £20m, but they paid a similar amount for Vincent Janssen, Serge Aurier, Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil to name just a few examples.

So, let's take a look at their 21st-century transfer dealings and their most expensive arrivals of the last 22 years!

Tottenham Hotspur most expensive signings by season

Season

Most expensive signing

Fee

Total spending

2023/24

James Maddison

£40.00M

£122.00M

2022/23

Richarlison

£52.20M

£152.91M

2021/22

Bryan Gil

£22.50M

£86.31M

2020/21

Giovani Lo Celso

£28.80M

£59.45M

2019/20

Tanguy Ndombele

£54M

£133.65M

2018/19

None

–

–

2017/18

Davinson Sanchez

£37.80M

£111.15M

2016/17

Moussa Sissoko

£31.50M

£75.15M

2015/16

Heung-min Son

£27M

£63.90M

2014/15

Ben Davies

£11.39M

£43.63M

2013/14

Erik Lamela

£27M

£110.30M

2012/13

Mousa Dembele

£17.10M

£65.93M

2011/12

Scott Parker

£5.18M

£8.10M

2010/11

Rafael van der Vaart

£9.45M

£23.94M

2009/10

Peter Crouch

£9.45M

£36.27M

2008/09

Luka Modric

£20.25M

£129.56M

2007/08

Darren Bent

£22.28M

£84.74M

2006/07

Dimitar Berbatov

£14.13M

£54.90M

2005/06

Jermaine Jenas

£13.50M

£32.86M

2004/05

Andy Reid

£7.20M

£42.41M

2003/04

Jermaine Defoe

£9.45M

£26.78M

2002/03

Robbie Keane

£9.45M

£9.45M

2001/02

Dean Richards

£10.94M

£25.25M

2000/01

Sergiy Rebrov

£16.20M

£23.17M

TOTAL

£1.52B

*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt.

Tottenham Hotspur top 10 most expensive player signingsGetty Images10Roberto Soldado | £27 million | Valencia | 2013

Tottenham signed Soldado in the summer of 2013 for a then club record fee of £27 million.

The Spanish striker scored on his debut in Tottenham's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace and then four days later scored a brace in a 5-0 win in their Europa League match against Dinamo Tbilisi.

However, he eventually scored just six goals in his debut season and was quickly labelled a flop by Spurs fans.

Soldado left Tottenham in the summer of 2015 and joined Villarreal for a reported £10m.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Steven Bergwijn | £27 million | PSV | 2020

Steven Bergwijn arrived in North London from PSV for £27 million in January 2020.

He signed a five-year contract and scored his first goal for the club on his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win over Manchester City.

After the Premier League halt by Covid-19, Bergwijn scored in the first game against Manchester United in a 1-6 win at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman made 60 appearances for Spurs, scoring seven goals before joining Ajax in the summer of 2022.

Getty Images8Giovani Lo Celso | £28.80 million | Real Betis | 2020

Tottenham signed Giovani Lo Celso from La Liga side Real Betis in August 2019 on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Lo Celso made his debut for Spurs against Manchester City and they triggered the option to sign him permanently in January 2020 for £28.80 million.

After two decent years at Tottenham, Lo Celso was loaned to Villarreal in January 2022 and has been there since then.

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Getty Images7Moussa Sissoko | £31.50 million | Newcastle | 2016

After a much-publicized move from Newcastle United in 2016, Moussa Sissoko went on to make 202 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions.

Spurs paid a premium of £31.50 million to acquire his services, but it is probably fair to say that the move didn't work out for either party.

He spent five years at the club before deciding to join Watford in the summer of 2021 and got relegated with them in the 2021-22 season.

After breaking their transfer record to sign the Brazil attacker, the Blaugrana are set to offload a number of players, either now or in the summer

Getty Images1Javier Mascherano

As reported by Goal, Javier Mascherano's proposed move to Hebei China Fortune is almost a done deal. All that remains now is for the deal to be finalised, meaning the Argentine's eight-year stay at Camp Nou is coming to a close.

The versatile defender will depart with his head held high and with the gratitude of Blaugrana fans the world over, having helped the Catalan club win 17 trophies, including two Champions Leagues, since arriving from Liverpool in August 2010.

AdvertisementAA2Arda Turan

Arda Turan is another player almost certain to leave Camp Nou before this month. The Turkish attacker has not made anything like the same impact as Mascherano, having failed dismally to justify the €34 million fee Barca paid Atletico Madrid for his services in 2015.

Of course, Arda was not eligible for selection until January of the following year due to the Catalans' transfer ban but even when he has played, the winger has severely underwhelmed.

As a result, Barca are now desperate to remove him from their wage bill and the 30-year-old is set to join Istanbul Basaksehir before the week is out.

Getty Images3Gerard Deulofeu

Gerard Deulofeu revitalised his career during a sensational six-month loan spell at AC Milan, prompting Barcelona to enact the buy-back clause they had inserted in the winger's contract when they sold him to Everton in 2015.

The 23-year-old had hoped that his second spell at Camp Nou would turn out differently to his first but, in spite of the considerable void left by Neymar's move to Paris Saint-German and an early-season injury to Ousmane Dembele, Deulofeu has been unable to convince Ernesto Valverde that he is worthy of a regular starting berth. 

A January return to Italy now sees inevitable, with Napoli and Inter leading the chase to sign a player who is desperate to represent Spain at this summer's World Cup in Russia. Barca, though, will not accept anything less than €10m for Deulofeu.

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Getty4Rafinha

After an injury-plagued year, Rafinha is now looking to revitalise his career and Barcelona believe that the versatile midfielder would be well served by a move away from Camp Nou, given the intense competition for places within the Liga leaders' starting 11.

The Catalans are open to offers for their youth academy product but, given suitors such as Serie A side Inter have understandable doubts over his fitness, a January loan deal with the option of a permanent switch at the end of the season seems the more likely outcome.

Scotland have sent Majid Haq, their most-capped player and leading wicket-taker, home from the World Cup after a breach of discipline

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2015Scotland’s coach Grant Bradburn has expressed relief at the support from Cricket Scotland when they sent Majid Haq, their most-capped player and leading wicket-taker, home from the World Cup after a breach of discipline.Haq reacted angrily to being omitted from the side and intimated on Twitter that the decision had racist undertones – an allegation he quickly withdrew by deleting the tweet.Bradburn told QTV Sports: “It became obvious what we needed to do. It is not the situation that we would like to have to deal with particularly in a tournament like this when we are in the midst of playing some of the best teams in the world, but I am very impressed with the way that Cricket Scotland have handled the situation swiftly.”I had the cricket conversations with Majid as I do all of the players. As a coach you get used to having hard conversations with players. That is my job, particularly players who aren’t playing.”They are not easy to have. You have to give them direct clarity, give them honesty and show compassion and value them as people and players and I always take a lot of care over that side of my coaching.”I would expect them to be disappointed over not playing but unfortunately Maj has chosen a way to react which has contravened the values of the side and of his employers, Cricket Scotland.”No details have been formally released by Cricket Scotland but Haq’s discontent followed the decision to omit him from the team to play Sri Lanka. He was replaced in the XI by fellow offspinner Michael Leask, as Scotland lost their fifth match at the World Cup by 148 runs.The team issued a statement, which said: “Following a breach of Cricket Scotland’s internal code of conduct, international team member Majid Haq is travelling home from the ICC World Cup. No further statement will be issued until this process has been completed in due course.”The BBC reported that Haq sent a tweet, subsequently deleted, saying: “Always tougher when your in the minority!! #colour #race”. Another tweet included the message: “Make sure everybody in your ‘boat’ is rowing and not drilling holes when you’re not looking. Know your circle.”

pic.twitter.com/6MBvvwjtMa

— Majid Haq (@MajidHaq) March 11, 2015

Haq also faces a three-match suspension at the start of the Scottish club season. The Western District Cricket Union imposed the punishment for dissent, abuse of equipment and abusive language – although he was also reprimanded for public criticism.Haq, 32, has only taken three wickets at tournament but his economy of 4.88 is impressive. Overall, he has played more than 200 times for Scotland, taking 258 wickets, including 60 in one-day internationals.Leask, 24, managed figures of 0 for 63 off nine overs in his first World Cup appearance. Scotland have one final opportunity to register a win when they play Australia on Saturday.This story was updated at 1220 GMT on March 12 with Grant Bradburn’s response.

A round-up of the matches played in Group C of the Ranji Trophy on December 9, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2014Group C
ScorecardKrishna Das registered his best first-class figures of 7 for 50•PTI Assam picked up a bonus point after Krishna Das ran through Tripura’s batting in Guwahati. Starting the third day trailing by 138, Tripura’s second innings folded for 155, with medium-pacer Krishna picking up seven wickets to finish with match figures of 10 for 91. This left Assam chasing a target of 16 runs, and they completed the job without losing a wicket.Tripura were 2 for 0 at the start of the day, and their openers put on 39 before Krishna picked up his first wicket. The top four all got into double figures, and their third-wicket pair of Rajesh Bainik and Rakesh Solanki put on 73 to steer Tripura to a solid 113 for 2, before the wicket of Bainik began a collapse that saw eight wickets fall for 42 runs. All seven batsmen Krishna dismissed were out bowled or lbw.
ScorecardHyderabad took firm control of their clash against Andhra, as three-wicket hauls from Syed Quadri and Ravi Kiran helped the team collect a crucial first-innings lead. In reply to Hyderabad’s 522, Andhra began the day well-placed at 121 for 0, but were dealt an early blow when the opener Srikar Bharat (75) was dismissed in the first over. Bharat’s opening partner Prasanth Kumar carried on, stroking a fourth first-class hundred, but none of the other batsmen were able to make good on their starts and raise a fifty, as Andhra were bowled out for 369. Prasanth hit 17 fours and a six during his 124, while for Hyderabad, Quadri picked up 3 for 54 and Kiran took 3 for 103. With a 153-run lead in hand, Hyderabad enforced the follow-on. Andhra were 24 for 0 at stumps.
ScorecardServices were stung by Himachal Pradesh’s lower order on the third day which resulted in a 253-run deficit for the home team at the Palam Ground in Delhi. They then lost their top three batsmen in the latter half of the day and were left staring at a possible defeat. Services were still 162 short of making Himachal bat again.Resuming from their overnight 255 for 6, Himachal lost their seventh wicket after the addition of 16 runs. But if Services thought they would be able to bat again soon, it was not be. Nikhil Gangta, who has a scored a century in first-class cricket previously, added 55 for the eight wicket with Karnaveer Singh, followed it up with a 77-run partnership along with Vikramjeet Malik (59 off 47 balls), before adding 75 for the last wicket with Pankaj Jaiswal (41 off 46 balls). Gangta fell one short of a century; he was the last wicket to fall. But by that time, the team had scored 224 runs in 49.1 overs.
ScorecardAmit Verma’s ninth first-class century anchored the Kerala innings in their response to Goa’s 367 in Wayanad. Verma was the last batsman to be dismissed on the day – after a 287-ball 129 that included 13 fours and three sixes – but the innings ensured Kerala moved within 68 runs of Goa’s total.Kerala started on 60 for 2 but were jolted in the fifth over of the morning as KB Pawan was caught behind off Saurabh Bandekar. The dismissal brought Sanju Samson to the crease but he could only score 24 from 95 balls before being dismissed by Shadab Jakati. Sachin Baby, the Kerala captain, added 80 for the fifth-wicket with Verma before being caught behind off Jakati for 31. Verma found a solid ally in Nikhilesh Surendran and the two put the best stand of the innings – 86 runs in 30.3 overs – to edge Kerala closer to the target. However, Verma was dismissed four overs before the close of day, leaving both sides with a chance of grabbing the point for first-innings lead on the fourth day.

Lyon battered Slavia Prague 9-0 in their first match of the 2023/24 UEFA Women's Champions League season.

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Lyon trample Slavia Prague 9-0Lindsey Horan started matchFrench side manage seven different scorersWHAT HAPPENED?

Six first half goals from Lyon told the story as Lindsey Horan and Co pummeled Slavia Prague into the pitch Tuesday evening. Kadidiatou Diani's first-half brace stole the show as the France international shined in her first WUCL game with the club. Horan, meanwhile, ran circles in the midfield while putting on a passing clinic.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lyon managed seven different goal-scorers, with Diani and Vanessa Giles being the only multi-scorers with two. By the halftime whistle it was already 6-0 to the away side, and come the second half, a plethora of subs were made – with Horan among those being hooked.

The USWNT midfielder left the pitch in the 69th minute, and although she didn't find herself on the scoresheet, Horan played an important role in the match with possession and tempo control in the center of the pitch.

DID YOU KNOW?

This is the second time Lyon have put nine goals past Slavia Prague in recent years, with the French side winning 9-1 in 2015. It's safe to say the 2021-22 European champions well in the hunt for their ninth title!

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LYON?

The French side are back in action on November 17 with a league match against Dijon Foot before returning to UWCL action again the following week against SKN St. Polten on November 24.

Yet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three, and are the team to beat

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit15-Apr-2015Match factsThursday, April 16, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:07

Agarkar: Form of top-order batsmen positive for Sunrisers

Big pictureYet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three. The challenge for them has been to sustain that momentum towards the end of a long tournament, but for now, they are the team to beat. So far, they’ve won the crunch moments that decide games, something they have often let slip in the past.They also let Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson counter-punch a century stand after having Mumbai Indians in trouble, but their chase flowed so smoothly that their death bowling did not cost them in the end. With captain Shane Watson expected to play their next game – if not this one – after recovering from a hip injury, Royals’ batting will be further strengthened.Their opponents are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who themselves hit back with a commanding chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore after being outclassed by Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni in Chennai.Both teams have never played in Visakhapatnam and the side that bats first will have to take a few overs to judge the nature of the pitch. “The pitch will be very good for batting. It has a little bit of grass and there will be good bounce as well,” curator Naga Mallaiah said.Some rain is forecast in the port city around noon but the evening is expected to be clear.Watch out for…World Cup winner Steven Smith has carried his form from the Australian summer to the Indian, and his unbeaten 79 off 53 deliveries carried Royals home against Mumbai Indians. Smith’s taking apart of Lasith Malinga in the decisive 19th over was authoritative. He has been wasted down the order in the past but the Royals stand-in captain is enjoying the responsibility in the top order.KL Rahul’s unbeaten 44 against Royal Challengers was only his second score of 40 or more in the IPL, where his strike-rate is still under 110. This has been his breakthrough season, with a Test hundred in Australia, a triple in the Ranji Trophy followed by a big century in the Ranji final. Confidence from such a run can easily transcend formats, and Rahul showed signs of achieving that against Royal Challengers.Stats and trivia Only two IPL games have been played previously in Visakhapatnam, back in 2012 Royals have a 3-2 head-to-head record against Sunrisers Among active IPL franchises, Sunrisers have the lowest team batting strike-rate – 117Quotes”I think he is on par with AB de Villiers at the moment and Virat Kohli when he is at his best. It is incredible to see him just continue to pile on the runs in every format. It looks like it’s not going to end and let’s hope it doesn’t for quite a while.”
“Trent Boult has been in fantastic form. Look at how he bowled in the World Cup. We feel Trent is just ahead of Dale (Steyn). We will definitely use Dale in the tournament. At the moment Trent is going fantastic so Dale just misses out.”

Weston McKennie and Tim Weah left San Siro with three points as Juventus took down Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan.

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Juve win 1-0Four USMNT stars startWeah the standout American

It was a big day for Americans in Italy as all four U.S. men's national team stars started in a clash of two Scudetto hopefuls. The contest was, however, slightly derailed by a first half red card that led to one of those Americans, Pulisic, being taken off of the field as Milan boss Stefano Pioli reshuffled his lineup.

In the end, though, Weah, McKennie and Juventus got the last laugh against their USMNT teammates as Juve earned a 1-0 win that opened up the Serie a title picture in a big way.

GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

With Milan on the front foot, the match was turned on its head just five minutes before halftime. Juventus forward Moise Kean got through on goal and was hacked down by Malick Thiaw, giving the referee no choice but to send the Milan centerback off.

Needing to reshape his team, Stefano Pioli opted to take Christian Pulisic off, and the American winger looked extremely frustrated as he marched toward the bench.

Up a man going forward, Juve finally got their goal in the 63rd minute as midfielder Manuel Locatelli fired a shot that deflected off Rade Krunic and into the back of the net. Weah was credited with the assist on Locatelli's goal, while the American star also played the pass that led to Thiaw's red card.

In the end, Juventus held on to the win, leaving them in third with 20 points. Milan, with the loss, sit second on 21, one point behind their eternal rivals Inter, who have held on to the top spot in Serie A.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

We only got the promised matchup for the first half, with Pulisic's removal robbing fans of the chance to see all of the USMNT stars go head-to-head. However, Musah and McKennie did face off for large stretches, with both starting in midfield.

Musah, at one point, put in strong tackle on Weah, who he pushed off the field in pursuit of the ball, while he and McKennie did meet up at several points in the center of the park.

Overall, with the four starting, the U.S. was the second-most represented country on the field, behind only Italy, on what felt like a historic day for American soccer.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

Gregg Berhalter was in the house for Sunday's match, and for good reason. For Berhalter, and many Americans, it felt like a landmark moment for the American game.

"It's a special moment for U.S. Soccer," Berhalter told . "To think about these two traditional clubs and now to have four U.S. players with the opportunity com compete in a game like this, we've come a long way. For me to be here is an honor, but mostly it's about supporting the guys because it's a great group of guys."

The occasion, of course, was ruined a bit by Pulisic's early substitution, but it doesn't diminish from the moment too much. Two of the biggest clubs in the world began a match with two Americans each in a match with real stakes.

There will be another match between these two sides in April, and all involved will hope for a cleaner match that allows all four to stay on the field and compete.

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GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Weston McKennie (7/10):

Sent one really good chance into the highest levels of the San Siro but, other than that, was solid for Juve. Was good defensively, although it helped Milan were up a man, and was solid enough in the attack, that missed shot aside.

Yunus Musah (6/10):

Was just a bit too quiet, although part of that will be due to the fact that his side was down a man. Didn't contribute enough and, in one of Milan's few real chances, he was unable to really control a cross from Rafael Leao.

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

A very incomplete game from the American, although he wasn't doing too much even prior to Milan's red card. He did, nearly, get a chance on goal after Olivier Giroud's shot was saved, but Wojciech Szczesny's parry went just past the American.

Tim Weah (8/10):

Of the four Americans, Weah was far an away the best on the field and it could be argued that he was the standout player of the entire game. Will be credited with the assist on the goal, although that was a bit lucky. It was deserved, though, as Weah routinely got forward and created danger with several dangerous crosses.

Chelsea remain unafraid of splashing the cash, despite making some expensive errors

Chelsea's considerable success in the last 20 years or so can be partly attributed to the significant amount of money they have spent in the transfer market. Indeed, the Blues have never had any issue splashing the cash on talented players, especially after Roman Abramovich took control of the club in 2003.

While there have been some notable flops, many new signings played a pivotal role in an unprecedented era of success for the club featuring Premier League triumphs, two Champions League wins and five FA Cup successes.

Abramovich may now be gone but Chelsea's new owners, a consortium fronted by Todd Boehly, have already demonstrated their willingness to continue spending big, as underlined by the signing of Mykhailo Mudryk, who was brought in from Shakhtar Donetsk to fortify their attack in a deal worth around £89 million ($109m). Mudryk's is no longer even the most expensive transfer in the Boehly era, though, as they smashed their transfer record on deadline to make Enzo Fernandez their most expensive signing of all time at £106.8m.

Here, GOAL takes a look at the 15 most expensive signings in the Blues' history…

Chelsea top 15 most expensive transfers

Getty Images15Ben Chilwell | £45.2m | Leicester City | 2020

Having established himself as one of the best left-backs in England, it was not a surprise to see Chelsea spend big on the Leicester City youth product in the summer of 2020.

He had a great first season at Chelsea, making 42 appearances in all competitions. He played the entire 90 minutes as Chelsea beat Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final.

Though a cruciate ligament injury curtailed his 2021-22 season campaign, Chilwell is already back in Thomas Tuchel's starting line-up and will be battling out with new signing Marc Cucurella for a starting spot this term.

AdvertisementGetty Images14Timo Werner | £47.7m | RB Leipzig | 2020

Signed for big money on the back of a prolific season for RB Leipzig, Timo Werner's move to Chelsea has not gone well, with the Germany international now tipped to return to his former club.

Werner cut a frustrated figure right from the off, his confidence clearly affected by a succession of glaring misses. He slowly fell out of favour, as Chelsea desperately searched for more dependable attacking outlets.

In fact, there was a marked decrease in his game-time in the 2021-22 season and has long been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Getty Images13Raheem Sterling | £50.6m | Manchester City | 2022

The former Manchester City winger has only just arrived at the Bridge and is expected to add a cutting edge to an attacking unit that struggled for goals a bit last season.

Despite falling out of favour a tad during the final year of his time at the Etihad, Sterling's quality cannot be questioned.

He won four titles at City, scoring 131 goals in all competitions, and also played a pivotal role in England's run to the final of Euro 2020.

Given he's still only 27, Sterling could well prove one of Chelsea's best-ever buys.

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(C)Getty Images12Jorginho | £51.3m | Napoli | 2018

Despite being wanted by Pep Guardiola at Man City, Jorginho ended up joining his former Napoli boss, Maurizio Sarri, in West London.

However, while Chelsea won the Europa League in his first season, the cultured midfielder did not have a great first season, as the team struggled under Sarri.

Jorginho, however, did start to live up to his billing in the following seasons, under Frank Lampard and then Thomas Tuchel.

He is a trusted member of the team now, as reliable as his famous 'Hop, skip and jump' penalty technique.

The Rojiblancos' record signing turned in a match-winning performance to keep Xavi's side within striking distance of the league leaders

It just had to be Joao Felix. On Sunday, the Barcelona loanee showed exactly why he is still rated so highly despite everything that has happened in his up-and-down career. Playing against his parent club Atletico Madrid, Felix turned in his best performance for the Blaugrana to date, and bagged the winning goal in a 1-0 win for Xavi's side.

Barca created a number of chances early, with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski missing clear opportunities to put their side ahead. Felix, though, grabbed the much-deserved opener, darting down the left and dinking the ball over Jan Oblak — and he didn't hold back with his celebration, either!

The Portugal international was their primary outlet for the rest of the clash, as he darted at defenders, caused problems down the wing, and tracked back with the kind of vengeance he's been lacking since he arrived in Catalunya.

And although Atleti made things uncomfortable at times, the Blaugrana looked mostly composed in key areas. Their midfield trio — Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong — simply played through the Rojiblancos', and ensured that Barca never really lost their control of the game.

By the 76th minute, Felix was exhausted, grabbing the back of his hamstring, and half-limping off the pitch. For the first time since he arrived late in the transfer window, Barca fans rose to their feet to applaud what had been a special showing.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Olympic Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Inaki Pena (7/10):

Had little to do before making immense saves from a Depay free-kick and a Correa shot from point-blank range late on. Who needs Marc-Andre ter Stegen, eh?

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Moved back to a right-sided role. Didn't have loads to do in a defensive sense, and kept the ball moving when needed.

Ronald Araujo (8/10):

Immense in the air, and put his body on the line with regularity. Loves these kinds of physical contests.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

A late replacement for Inigo Martinez after the warm-up. Atleti tried to attack his side of the pitch, but he handled things well.

Joao Cancelo (7/10):

Completed a solid percentage of his passes, created one big chance, and got his defensive positioning mostly correct. Doesn't have to be assisting every game to make an impact.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Pedri (7/10):

Silky on the ball, composed in central areas. Still looked tired towards the end. Much improved after a rough run of form.

Ilkay Gundogan (8/10):

Immense at the base of midfield. Cut passing lanes, and broke away from pressure. Pedri did the pretty stuff, Gundogan went about the dirty work with aplomb.

Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

Impactful all over the pitch. Covered loads of ground and put in an excellent block to deny Griezmann shortly before half time. Worked well with Gundogan. He makes Barca tick.

Getty ImagesAttack

Raphinha (7/10):

Really raised his level for the big game. Could have scored early on, and was a constant menace on the wing. Looked tired late — which was understandable.

Robert Lewandowski (4/10):

Missed a couple of chances early, and was handled far too easily by the Atleti defence. Should have made it 2-0 towards the end of normal time. Well off it.

Joao Felix (9/10):

Probably his best showing in a Barca shirt. Kicked around from the first minute against his former team-mates but it didn't seem to get to him. Direct, skilful and a joy to watch at times. Took his goal wonderfully — and seemed to enjoy it, too!

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ferran Torres (6/10):

A good shift on the left to relieve a tired Felix.

Lamine Yamal (6/10):

Didn't shy away from the physicality of things.

Fermin Lopez (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Xavi (8/10):

After a series of poor showings, Barca were excellent from the get-go. They created chances aplenty, got contributions from their main men, and held on at the end. A good day, right after a series of bad ones.

Australia allrounder Shane Watson is set to join the Test squad in the West Indies on Wednesday, following the birth of his second child in Sydney

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015Australia allrounder Shane Watson is set to join the Test squad in the West Indies on Wednesday, following the birth of his second child in Sydney. Watson, however, will not participate in the three-day tour game against WICB President’s XI in North Sound, the only warm-up match before the two-Test series gets underway on June 3.The allrounder had delayed his departure for the Caribbean due to the impending birth of his second child – who was born on May 24 – and was uncertain for the first Test.Apart from Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and David Warner will also miss the warm-up match, after the team management opted to rest players returning from the IPL season.Australia XI: Chris Rogers, Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Fawad Ahmed