U21 stars of the week: Dembele, Thuram and Wan-Bissaka among top performers

With Europe’s top five leagues all back in action following the international break, we run the rule over the top performing youngsters aged 21 and under, with some familiar names and faces, and all too familiar as far as Inter were concerned.

The Nerazzurri suffered a second reverse of the season on Saturday, and it was their own player that condemned them to said 1-0 defeat at home to newly promoted Parma. Inter loanee Federico Dimarco started on the bench for the visitors but was brought on at half-time at left-back and had an impact at both ends.

The 20-year-old blocked and Ivan Perisic shot off the line early in the second half before scoring a stunning match winner from 30-yards with just over ten minutes remaining. Picking up a loose, bouncing ball just in a seemingly comfortable position as far as the hosts were concerned, the youngster dribbled past Marcelo Brozovic before firing into the top right corner of Handanovic’s goal.

In just 45 minutes he secured a WhoScored.com rating of 8.40, which was the best of all players aged 21 and under in Europe’s top five leagues.

Marginally behind the full-back in that regard, Ousmane Dembele scored for the third league game running to ensure Barcelona came from behind against bogey team Real Sociedad. A goal down at the break, Luis Suarez levelled matters just after the hour mark and it took just minutes for Dembele to score what proved to be the winning goal.

The Frenchman went on to earn the WhoScored.com man of the match award (8.39) having also created three chances, completed three dribbles and three tackles in another impressive display from the left wing.

Compatriot Allan Saint-Maximin was also the star of the show as Patrick Vieira’s Nice earned a 2-1 win in an incident-filled game with Rennes, with the woodwork struck, a penalty saved and own goal scored by the hosts alone. The forward cancelled out teammate Malang Sarr’s effort past his own goalkeeper to set up a comeback win and completed six dribbles to help secure a WhoScored.com rating of 8.29.

Elsewhere in France, there were standout performances from Samuel Kalu and Marcus Thuram for Bordeaux and Guingamp respectively. The former has made a good start at replacing predecessor Malcom on the right for Girondins and scored his first goal of the season in a six-goal thriller with Nimes. The Nigerian thought he’d bagged the winner only for fellow 21-year-old Umut Bozok to equalise late on for the promoted visitors, with the Turkish striker also among the top performing youngsters this weekend.

Thuram - son of Lilian - ended on the wrong end of a rout away at Marseille but was the one bright spark for the visitors, completing the most dribbles in a single Ligue 1 game this season (nine), while winning eight of 11 aerial duels.

Two Premier League representatives took a place in the young team of the week at the back, meanwhile, with Palace academy graduate Aaron Wan-Bissaka impressing once more for the Eagles, while Issa Diop put in his best performance to date as West Ham earned a precious three points away at Everton.