Ex-Borussians reunited
In any case, they are reunited, the two ex-Dortmunders, who are no longer very good at BVB. Dembele went on strike in 2017 after just a year in the black and yellow jersey with FC Barcelona, while Aubameyang did the same a year later when he joined Arsenal.
And Aubameyang thinks a lot of his “brother”: “Ousmane is one of the best on the ball and incredible as a striker.” He does not know whether he will extend his contract after all. But one thing is certain: “Everything is possible in life.”
The fact is that FC Barcelona upgraded their team quite a bit during the winter break – almost with the commitment of the new coach Xavi. And that even though the club is actually broke or at least has a huge mountain of debt in front of it. Nevertheless, with Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Adama Traoré, three new offensive players arrived who should provide a noticeable breath of fresh air in FCB’s attack.
Second leg in Naples as a maturity test
That this can work could be seen in Valencia, but also in the Europa League first leg against SSC Napoli, when a 1-1 deficit against the defensively strong Neapolitans still resulted in a 1-1 draw. The return leg in southern Italy is now scheduled for Thursday. And the “new” Barcelona can and must prove itself in a maturity test.
Things are naturally still shaky in the team, especially since Memphis Depay, who is believed to be the strongest attacker, has been out for weeks due to various injuries. The Catalans can count themselves lucky that, in addition to young stars like Pedri or Frenkie de Jong, they still have old warhorses like Gerard Piqué, keeper Marc-André ter Stegen or Sergio Busquets in the squad. He recently appealed to his teammates: “We have to show concentration in every game, because we absolutely have to reach the Champions League.”
Tight race for the premier class
In the league, Barcelona are fourth after three wins from four games – that would be enough for now. But champions Atletico Madrid are just a hair’s breadth behind. The Tam would advance a lot in terms of self-confidence in the Europa League in Naples.
Source: oh yes