Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has praised Ousmane Dembele after the winger scored the winning goal in the Spanish Super Cup fixture with Sevilla.

Dembele has been linked with an exit from Camp Nou this summer, but the France international netted a fine individual strike to secure a 2-1 victory for the Catalan giants in Tangier.

The 21-year-old endured a difficult first campaign at the La Liga champions, but Valverde has acknowledged that the player possesses "great qualities".

Valverde told the club's official website: "We need a bit of shooting practice, but we are happy because in spite of everything, we have beaten a great rival.

"We fell behind and that cost us, but we got better as the game went on. He is a player with great qualities and today has left us with something to be happy about in a difficult match."

Barcelona begin their league campaign with a home fixture against Alaves on August 18.