Barcelona manager Xavi has lavished praise on Ousmane Dembele after the Frenchman netted the winner for the Catalan outfit in their victory over Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona secured their passage to the semi-final of Copa del Rey after securing a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the quarter-final of the competition. After a goalless first-half, Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute to earn Barcelona the victory.
Ousmane Dembele was impressive for Barcelona against Real Sociedad, and his goal in the match was his eighth of the season.
Speaking after Barcelona’s win over Real Sociedad, manager Xavi showered praise on the Frenchman, who he said has matured a lot and can be the difference-maker for the Catalan outfit.
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Ousmane Dembele has so much potential, says Xavi
Xavi also said Ousmane Dembele is lethal and believes the Frenchman has so much potential.
“I think Dembele has matured a lot since we took over. We have just given him the tools. He is lethal. We always say when he comes inside, he has to shoot more because he has that quality and he can make the difference in games,” Xavi said after the match.
“You see the faces of the full-backs, they suffer. We have just given him confidence. He has so much potential. I believe in him. I think a lot of this comes down to making the right decisions. He is also enjoying himself and the fans are enjoying him.”
Ousmane Dembele has featured in 27 games across all competitions for Barcelona so far in the 22/23 season. As aforementioned, he has racked up eight goals in those appearances while also registering seven assists.
Five of those goals and five those of assists have come in the La Liga, where Barcelona are the league leaders. The Catalan outfit sit atop the points table in the Spanish top-flight and enjoy a three-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who are also the defending champions.
Barcelona have played in 17 matches in the La Liga so far this season and have earned 44 points from those fixtures. They have won 14 of those matches, drawn two and suffered defeat in one.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid sit second with 41 points from 17 matches. Los Blancos have won 13 of those matches, drawn two and suffered defeats in two.
