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Looking to extend their unbeaten run in the league, Barcelona welcomed Athletic Bilbao to the Camp Nou for their La Liga matchday 25 clash.
Against a much-changed Athletic team, the Blaugrana ran riots, picking up an impressive 4-0 win. The convincing victory saw them move into the top four, with only Real Madrid, Sevilla, and Real Betis, who have all played a game more, sitting ahead of them.
Keeping Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semi-final clash against Valencia in mind, Bilbao made a plethora of changes to their starting XI. Barca, on the other hand, came all guns blazing, eager to put in a commanding display.
After measuring their opponents in the opening session, Barcelona created their first big chance in the 32nd minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set up Ferran Torres inside the Bilbao box with an inviting pass, but the Spaniard's volley was not good enough to beat Unai Simon.
Five minutes later, Aubameyang took matters into his own hands, bundling the ball home from Gerard Pique’s rebound.
In the 73rd minute, Ousmane Dembele joined the party, beating the keeper with a scintillating effort. Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay then added a goal each in the dying embers of the match, sealing a 4-0 win for the hosts.
On that note, here are five Barca players who impressed in their convincing win over the Basque outfit on Sunday night:
#5 Frenkie de Jong
Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong once again produced an eye-catching display. Introduced in the second half, De Jong did not take time adjusting to the pace of the game and got to work right away.
In his 23-minute cameo, he made 29 passes with 93.5 percent accuracy, provided two key passes, and set up Dembele's goal.
Spotting the Frenchman’s run down the left, the former Ajax man placed a perfectly weighted first-time pass on his path from midfield.
Dembele took care of the rest with an explosive finish.
#4 Dani Alves
Dani Alves, the oldest player on the pitch, showed that for him age is truly just a number.
The 38-year-old worked tirelessly against Bilbao, doing everything in his power to put Barca on course for another win.
The veteran full-back was solid at the back, fought for every ball, and dashed into the opposition half more often than not.
Over the course of the 90 minutes, the Brazilian won eight duels, completed five recoveries, and registered three clearances.
The right-back also played 89 passes with 85.6 percent accuracy, completed three crosses, and dispatched two key passes into the box.
#3 Pedri
Since their inception, Barcelona have had the good fortune of fielding some of the most talented midfielders in the world.
One of their academy graduates, Pedri, is making Cules dream of another era of pure midfield dominance.
Only 19 years of age, the Spaniard has already proved himself in some of the toughest competitions in the world.
Last night, he got another opportunity to show the world why he is rated so highly, and, as expected, he did not disappoint.
The teenager was immaculate with his distribution, regularly carried the ball forward, and won his duels with ease.
Against Bilbao, the La Masia graduate played 86 passes with (93.5 percent accuracy, completed all of his attempted dribbles (3), and won eight of his 10 duels.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
From being frozen out by Arsenal to scoring goals for fun for Barcelona, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has come a long way over the last few months.
The 32-year-old forward is enjoying his football at the moment and seems confident enough to take on any team in the world.
Coming into the match on the back of four goals in two matches across competitions, Aubameyang was looking for ways to extend his goalscoring run.
The opportunity finally fell to him in the 37th minute, and he used his instinct to turn the ball in. Barca defender Gerard Pique met Dani Alves’ corner, but his effort hit the crossbar and came back into play.
Luckily for the hosts, the ball fell kindly for Aubameyang, who acrobatically found the back of the net.
Apart from the goal, the Gabonese striker registered a key pass, won a couple of duels, and completed an interception.
#1 Ousmane Dembele
Whistles were heard at the Camp Nou when Xavi introduced Ousmane Dembele for Ferran Torres in the 67th minute. The Frenchman, however, paid no heed to the jeers and turned them into cheers with an excellent shift.
Six minutes after coming on, Dembele found himself on the end of a Frenkie de Jong through ball. He carried it forward with pace, dashed down the byline, and dispatched a venomous left-footed effort to beat Simon at his near post.
Seventeen minutes later, Dembele added an assist to his goal, sending an inviting cross into the area from the right flank. Substitute Luuk de Jong applied a simple finish to send Barcelona 3-0 up.
The former Borussia Dortmund man’s final contribution came three minutes into added time. Once again crossing from the right flank, the 24-year-old, found Memphis Depay in the thick of things, and the Dutchman made no mistake from close range.
Having played a part in three of Barca’s four goals, the Frenchman arguably produced his best performance of the season on Sunday night.
