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Real Madrid's Hakimi is who Barcelona need on road to recovery

The 21-year-old is displaying all of his frightening potential in the UCL, and is the ideal replacement, albeit belated, for Dani Alves at Camp Nou

If their current standing in La Liga was not enough of a tell, Barcelona’s limp draw against Sparta Prague was a portrait of a ship listing nowhere.

Not even with Lionel Messi could Ernesto Valverde’s side avoid the unwanted record of not scoring at home in a Uefa Champions League Group Stage match for the first time since 2012.

Even the best player to ever kick a football needs help every now and again; there is only so much he can do, only so far he can drag a side so completely lacking in dynamism or any kind of explosive energy.