"He has fallen from the sky for us" - Xavi lauds Barcelona summer signing who 'marks personality of the team' 

Barcelona boss Xavi has hailed summer signing Ilkay Gundogan and insists he's made a massive difference for the La Liga giants.

Gundogan, 33, joined the Blaugrana as a free agent after leaving Manchester City in the summer. The German midfielder arrived at Barca as a proven winner, helping Pep Guardiola's Cityzens win the continental treble in the 2022-23 campaign.

The veteran midfielder has made a fine start to life at Camp Nou, with three goals and six assists in 25 games across competitions. He's displayed leadership and a winning mentality during the early stages of his Barcelona career.

Xavi moved to praise Gundogan ahead of his side's Copa del Rey Round of 32 clash against Spanish minnows Barbastro today (January 7). He said (via GOAL):

"Ilkay is contributing a lot to us. The other day he made the difference in a difficult moment. He is a player who marks the personality of the team. He is always positive. He has fallen from the sky for us."

Gundogan arrived at Barcelona with plenty of experience, having won 14 major trophies during his time at City. He made 304 appearances for the Premier League giants, scoring 60 goals and providing 40 assists.

The Germany international is used to winning and displayed that mentality when Barca suffered a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in October. He said (via the source above):

"I come from the dressing room and obviously people are disappointed after such a big game, such an important game and such an unthinkable result, I would like to see more anger, more disappointment."

It would come as no surprise to see Gundogan appointed Barca's permanent captain should Sergi Roberto depart once his contract expires at the end of the season. He captained City during their treble-winning 2022-23 campaign and is regarded as one of Europe's most reliable midfielders.

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Ilkay Gundogan reacts to Barcelona's last-gasp win against Las Palmas

Ilkay Gundogan bagged Barcelona's winner.

Barcelona left it late but secured all three points in a 2-1 win against 10-man Las Palmas on Thursday (January 4). Gundogan grabbed the winner from the penalty spot in the 90+3rd minute to keep his side still in the hunt for the La Liga title.

Gundogan reacted to the win and his last-gasp penalty with a post on his Instagram account. He said:

"Believing until the last second!"

Barca's victory over Las Palmas took them on to 41 points from 19 games played in La Liga. They sit third, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid.

It's been an unremarkable start to the Catalan giants' defense of their La Liga crown. But, they are still showing fighting spirit as was on display in their comeback win on Thursday night.