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In what was a game of two halves, Barcelona beat Levante in a five-goal La Liga thriller at the Estadio Cuidad on Sunday. The contest went back and forth as the hosts refused to give up. Whereas Barca's pure grit and determination to take home all the points came to the fore on the night.
Jose Luis Morales opened the scoring through yet another penalty for Levante. The 34-year-old was once again on the scoresheet against the Catalans after scoring in a 3-3 draw in the fixture last season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a 59th-minute header to get his side back into the game. The Gabonese international scored his eighth league goal in just nine appearances, courtesy of an inch-perfect cross from Ousmane Dembele.
Pedri's substitution in the second half was a masterstroke from Xavi Hernandez. The 19-year-old dispatched a lovely strike into the bottom left corner just minutes after joining the party. It could've been the winner but Clement Lenglet gave away another penalty in the final minutes of the game. Gonzalo Merelo converted to level the scores.
Luckily for the Frenchman, the spotlight was taken off him as Luuk de Jong came on and scored the winner for the Blaugrana.
The game ended 3-2 in favor of the visitors after a tough and impressive performance by the home side. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Barcelona extend their unbeaten run to 15 games!
Who would've thought that Barca would experience such a turnaround this season? Despite a slow start for Xavi at his boyhood club, they have picked up pace faster than a Formula 1 car on soft tires. Not only are the Catalans streamrolling their opponents, but they possess the ability to grind out results if need be.
They have now gone unbeaten in 15 league games and have won their last seven league games.
The Catalan club spent the majority of their season outside the top four in the league table. Fans doubted whether they will be able to make it into Champions League football come next season. It is safe to say now that doubt has vanished. Barcelona currently sit second in the table with 60 points. They have a game in hand over Sevilla (2nd) and Atletico Madrid (3rd) and are level on points and three points above them respectively..
Xavi's men have scored 12 goals in their last four league games and now attention turns towards their midweek fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt. A tough evening at Deutsche Bank Park in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals saw them draw 1-1. Barcelona will look to thrash the German side in the second leg this week with the Camp Nou behind them.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showing no signs of slowing down
The 32-year-old might just be the signing of the January transfer window if he continues to excel and lead Barcelona to Europa League glory. Xavi set up his pieces in perfect order and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the icing on the cake for the Spaniard's ideas to come to frution.
The former Arsenal striker was pushed out of the club with a contract termination after a feud with his then manager Mikel Arteta. Blaugrana saw an opportunity and secured the services of the Gabonese, who has undoubtedly been one of the best goalscorers of the past decade. Xavi put his faith in Aubameyang and the striker has repaid it with consistent goals since his arrival in Catalunya.
Aubameyang has scored eight goals and provided one assist in nine league games, averaging a goal every 70 minutes. His partnership with former Dortmund winger Dembele has sparked life into Barcelona's attack. They look to end the season with a European trophy and top-2 finish to their name.
#3 Levante's two-man striking partnership was a problem for the visitors
Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo were put to the test as Levante caused numerous problems for Barcelona's defense. The home side started the game brightly and were unlucky not to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes.
Morales showcased his annual 10/10 performance against Barcelona as he ran riot in the visitors' half. Araujo tried his best to contain the 34-year-old but didn't achieve much success.
The Levante centre-forward put in an immense defensive and offensive shift on the day. On another day, Morales could've easily run away with a hattrick to his name. But credit to Barca's defense for not allowing the Spaniard to inflict much damage.
#2 Ousmane Dembele knocking on Xavi's door for a new bumper contract
For a club like Barcelona, finding, nurturing and buying talent has never been a struggling task. The Catalans arguably have the best academy in the world in La Masia. They also generally used to possess the financial budget to buy any player across the globe. However, a new era for Barcelona would not be as secure.
The Blaugrana are in immense debt and have struggled with a poor wage structure. Hence, big-money signings might be limited come next season. This is why not letting a player like Dembele go for free should be a priority for them.
Raphinha from Leeds United and Antony from Ajax are the two names on Barca's radar to replace Dembele (via BarcaBlaugranes). Both would cost a fortune as they are two of the best players for their respective teams.
The Frenchman is yet to enter his prime years and is already the most important player for Xavi's Barcelona. He has made 11 assists so far in La Liga, 10 of them coming under the Spanish coach.
Offering a new, compelling contract to a settled Dembele might be a better option than splashing cash on a new player.
#1 Barcelona capitalised on Levante's momentum
The final 10 minutes of the game was one of the most exciting phase of football of the season. Levante's unreal resoluteness in finding an equalizer was a treat to watch but they lost the game due to their momentum.
Alessio Lisci would be extremely proud of their players' performance against the most in-form team in the country. However, he might have preferred it if his players showed more composure after the winner.
After the home side converted an 83rd minute penalty, they constantly pushed for the winning goal. They perhaps underestimated the threat Barcelona have on the counter attack. Levante's moment created huge gaps in midfield and defense, which Pedri and Busquets exploited to the fullest in the final minutes.
Luuk de Jong's 93rd minute goal was a perfect example of why Levante should've sat back and secured the point. The centre-forward made a darting run through the box and got on the end of Jordi Alba's cross.
The extra-time winner was de Jong's sixth league goal of the season and Barcelona's 60th.
