Memphis Depay celebrates scoring his side’s 4th goal during the LaLiga match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on Feb. 27. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Barcelona cruise at home against Athletic Bilbao
The good times continue to roll following Barcelona’s 4-0 win at the Camp Nou against Athletic Bilbao.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring in the first-half, taking advantage of a Gerard Pique header that hit the crossbar.
Ousmane Dembele scored the second and provided the assists for Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay for the Catalans’ third and fourth goals, respectively.
Defensively, Barcelona were able to keep a clean sheet despite some rustiness at times from Dani Alves and the absence of Jordi Alba. Sergiño Dest did a commendable job in his place and is finally finding a rhythm and taking advantage of the opportunities he’s being given.
It was the club’s second straight win in LaLiga and third straight counting the midweek victory in the Europa League against Napoli.
Barcelona were able to keep pace with Atletico Madrid, who beat Celta Vigo, to climb back ahead of them in the race to finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place. With Sevilla beating Real Betis, Barcelona sit only one point back of Betis with a game in hand.
With all that being said, here are three takeaways from Barcelona’s win.
4-0 win at the Camp Nou against Athletic Bilbao</a>.</p>
<p>Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring in the first-half, taking advantage of a Gerard Pique header that hit the crossbar.</p>
<p>Ousmane Dembele scored the second and provided the assists for Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay for the Catalans’ third and fourth goals, respectively.</p>
<p>Defensively, Barcelona were able to keep a clean sheet despite some rustiness at times from Dani Alves and the absence of Jordi Alba. Sergiño Dest did a commendable job in his place and is finally finding a rhythm and taking advantage of the opportunities he’s being given.</p>
<p>It was the club’s second straight win in LaLiga and third straight counting the midweek victory in the Europa League against Napoli.</p>
<p>Barcelona were able to keep pace with Atletico Madrid, who beat Celta Vigo, to climb back ahead of them in the race to finish in the top four and claim a Champions League place. With Sevilla beating Real Betis, Barcelona sit only one point back of Betis with a game in hand.</p>
<p>With all that being said, here are three takeaways from Barcelona’s win.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Ousmane Dembele's redemption </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-491443" src=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1238815913-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Ousmane Dembele celebrates 2-0 with Pablo Martin Paez Gavi as Frenkie de Jong and Sergino Dest join in. Barcelona would go on to rout Athletic Bilbao 4-0. (Photo by David S. Bustamante / Soccrates / Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Xavi’s confidence in Ousmane Dembele paying off</h3>
<p>For the second straight home game, Ousmane Dembele was whistled when he came on as a second-half substitute.</p>
<p>Whether it has any effect on him or not is unknown. He may be using it as motivation to prove his doubters wrong as he had a major impact in the 23 minutes he was on the pitch.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maybe the secret to making sure Dembele played his best was for his team’s fans to boo him relentlessly</p>
<p>— Zito (@_Zeets) <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://twitter.com/_Zeets/status/1498053961642692608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The Frenchman scored Barcelona’s second goal and provided the assist on the other two. So far, the trust that Xavi has in him has paid off. Xavi said he was going to play him regardless of his contract situation and he’s been true to his words.</p>
<blockquote><p>“There weren’t many whistles for Ousmane. The fans rule and they can do what they want, but they have to be on our side,” Xavi said. “Ousmane’s a great professional who supports the group and is a good guy in the dressing room. He can make the difference on the pitch. That’s the best Dembele we have seen today. The fans should support him, he’s a professional.”</p>
<p>Source: <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=610511%22>ESPN
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Despite playing for only 23 minutes, Dembélé gave 3 key passes, more than any player from both teams. <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://t.co/Qt3G5YOq6C">pic.twitter.com/Qt3G5YOq6C
<p>— adil (@Barca19stats) <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://twitter.com/Barca19stats/status/1498073832212492288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Dembele isn’t letting off-the-pitch issues affect his performance on the pitch and when he plays like that, one can see why his agent is demanding what they are in order to renew.</p>
<p>Almost single-handedly, he put the game to bed for Barcelona who were still only up by a goal when he came into the game.</p>
<p>If he continues playing like he is, he’s only going to feature more prominently. Ultimately, he may end up forcing Barcelona to sit back down at the negotiation table to hammer out an extension.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Pedri master class </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-491444" src=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1373168855-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Pedro “Pedri” Gonzalez tries to race past Bilbao’s Dani Vivian during theit LaLiga match Sunday. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Pedri playing well beyond his years</h3>
<p>You may not find his name on the scoresheet but Pedri put on a master class for Barcelona. The young Spanish midfielder gave the pass to Dembele on Luuk de Jong’s goal and time and time again he was an outlet for the back line as Barça played out from the back.</p>
<p>He even managed to sneak in a cheeky little nutmeg to get away from an Athletic Bilbao defender.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="hi" dir="ltr">PEDRI SHEEEEEESH! 🔥🔥 <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://t.co/iK2z0xAKxW">pic.twitter.com/iK2z0xAKxW
<p>— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1498050369783353344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>There is a reason why he’s quickly become a staple both in the national team and at Barcelona. The 19-year-old is only in his second season as a top-flight player and has already become an undisputed starter. He’s being compared to former club legend Andres Iniesta and it’s easy to see why.</p>
<blockquote><p>“It’s how he understands the game, how he goes between the lines, how he goes behind the pivots. He reminds me a lot of Andres Iniesta,” said Xavi.</p>
<p>“He’s wonderful. I haven’t seen many talents like that.”</p>
<p>Source: <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/xavi-barcelona-star-pedri-reminds-me-of-iniesta-i-haven-t/blt79541110757273fc">Goal
<p>Since coming off his injury, he hasn’t lost a step. In fact, in some ways, he’s gotten better.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I love Gavi and Nico but Pedri is on another level entirely. This guy doesn’t have the potential to be world-class; he already is. He plays with the audacity of someone who doesn’t believe he has limits and the serenity of someone who’s simply enjoying himself. An amazing player.</p>
<p>— Alan Feehely (@azulfeehely) <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://twitter.com/azulfeehely/status/1498052863297216524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>One of the things Xavi wanted him to improve on was his scoring. He tallied a goal against Espanyol and had a shot deflected in for a goal against Valencia.</p>
<p>His youthfulness and ability allows him to cover more ground and be a sort of protector for Sergio Busquets and, in turn, the defense.</p>
<p>Barcelona is often lambasted, and rightfully so, for their transfer business the last couple of seasons. They’ve missed more than they hit but there is no question they definitely got it right signing Pedri.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The team is coming together </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-491445" src=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1373167260-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is mobbed by teammates after scoring his Barcelona’s first goal during the LaLiga match agaist Athletic Club at Camp Nou. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>A renewed sense of cohesiveness</h3>
<p>Under former manager Ronald Koeman, the team looked disjointed. Whether offensively or defensively, they weren’t on the same page and it showed in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>Since Xavi has taken over, slowly but surely, he has Barcelona playing like a team again. The players now seem to know their role on the team and where to be, positionally speaking.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Xavi Hernández: "Of course I was expecting this change because we've been working on it for a long time… Today it cost us, we scored three goals in the final part of the match, but we were very solid, hardly conceding any chances. Great result, very good feelings and humility." <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://t.co/wQNLK65azN">pic.twitter.com/wQNLK65azN
<p>— barcacentre (@barcacentre) <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://twitter.com/barcacentre/status/1498058091123851272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>They’re pressing more effectively as a team and winning the ball back straight away instead of sitting back and waiting for the game to come to them.</p>
<p>Players who came under scrutiny like Frenkie de Jong, Busquets, Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique and Dest, have all improved under Xavi. De Jong looks like he has his confidence back and is starting to look like the player the club signed from Ajax.</p>
<p>The veterans no longer appear to crumble when things go wrong which in turn instills confidence and conveys assuredness to the younger players.</p>
<p>Xavi’s been able to integrate the winter signings straight into the team and they’ve all contributed in different ways. Luuk de Jong, who was a prime candidate to leave during the transfer window stayed and has become an impact sub for Xavi when he needs a goal.</p>
<p>Some were skeptical when Xavi took over as they felt he didn’t have enough experience. So far, he’s proven his doubters wrong. He’s led Barcelona to the Round of 16 in the Europa League and has them in Champions League contention.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Barcelona make short work of Athletic Bilbao" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/27/barcelona-rout-athletic-bilbao/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/28/3-takeaways-barcelona-athletic-bilbao/"https://playingfor90.com/2022/02/27/barcelona-rout-athletic-bilbao/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Barcelona make short work of Athletic Bilbao </a> </div>
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<p>There is no point in thinking back and wondering what could have been had he been the manager at the start of the season. He’s here now and he’s got Barcelona playing better, entertaining football and giving supporters renewed optimism in the process.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">