Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies names Barcelona star as his toughest opponent

Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has named Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele as the toughest opponent he has faced in the UEFA Champions League.

The Canada international was speaking to popular YouTuber IShowSpeed on a recent stream, where he was asked to name which player has given him the toughest time in the Champions League. Davies replied (h/t @BarcaTimes):

"[Ousmane] Dembélé. The guy is fast. I did my best & held my ground though."

Davies and Dembele have lined up as opponents thrice in their careers. The first instance came in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League group stage, where Bayern Munich won 3-0 at home.

Barcelona were drawn against the Bavarian giants once again in this season's Champions League group stage. Davies and Dembele played in both encounters, which Bayern won 2-0 (home) and 3-0 (away), respectively.

Despite his dominant record against the Barca winger, it seems that the former Vancouver Whitecaps left-back was bothered by the latter's pace. On his day, there are hardly any better wingers than the 35-cap France international.

Dembele is one of the fastest players around who can also dribble past his opponents with ease and create goal-scoring chances at will. He scored once and laid out 13 assists in his last 18 La Liga appearances last season.

The former Stade Rennais winger has carried that form into this campaign, registering five goals and as many assists in 18 league appearances. His future at Spotify Camp Nou is, however, uncertain, given his current deal expires in the summer of 2024.

Davies, meanwhile, is as fast as anyone down the flanks. The 22-year-old is currently Bayern's first-choice left-back, scoring thrice and making eight assists in 31 games across competitions this term.

Barcelona star's injury taking longer to heal than expected - reports

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Ousmane Dembele's thigh issue is taking longer to heal than initially expected.

He suffered the injury in Barcelona's 1-0 La Liga win against Girona on 28 January at Estadi Montilivi and has since been sidelined. A specific return date wasn't set, given his history of muscle injuries.

Dembele is currently training in isolation at the Ciutat Esportiva and is ruled out for El Clasico on 19 March. Barcelona and Real Madrid square off in Catalonia in a game that could have huge implications in the title race.

The Blaugrana currently have 65 points from 25 games, which is nine more than second-placed Real Madrid in the same period. They also hold a 1-0 advantage in the two-legged Copa del Rey semi-final tie against Los Blancos. The return leg will be played on 4 April in Barcelona.