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On course to lock down a second-place finish in La Liga, Barcelona welcomed Celta Vigo to the Camp Nou on Tuesday night, 11 May.
Barca had to dig deep to get a 2-1 win in their last outing against Real Betis on Saturday (7 May), with Jordi Alba scoring the winner in injury time. But it was a more comfortable win over Celta as a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brace and a Memphis Depay goal handed them a 3-1 victory.
In the reverse fixture, Celta Vigo secured a 3-3 draw against the Blaugrana, fighting their way back from 3-0 down. Their confidence and belief in hurting Barca shone through in the opening stages as they completely dominated proceedings at the Camp Nou. Unfortunately, the visitors' indecisiveness in the final third let them down.
Barca eventually started creating chances of their own and got themselves ahead on the half-hour mark. Ousmane Dembele’s offload found Depay inside the Celta Vigo box. The Dutchman made no mistake in finding the back of the net with a first-time finish. Eleven minutes later, Aubamayeng gave Barcelona some breathing room, intercepting Nestor Araujo’s botched clearance and firing home from close range.
Just a couple of minutes into the second half, Aubameyang doubled his tally, applying the finishing touch to Dembele’s delivery into the box. But two minutes later, Barca had an unpleasant flashback of the reverse fixture, as Iago Aspas pulled one back for Celta.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Jeison Murillo received marching orders following a professional foul on Depay in the 58th minute, thus extinguishing Celta’s hopes for a comeback.
In the 62th minute, Barca defender Ronald Araujo had an accidental clash of heads with his teammate Gavi. The defender tried to carry on but eventually went to the ground. Having suffered a concussion, the 23-year-old left the field in an ambulance. The Camp Nou faithful applauded their young warrior as he was being taken off. Clement Lenglet replaced him.
Barcelona did not exactly produce a commanding performance on Tuesday, but it was enough to get the job done.
Here are five players who helped them bag their third consecutive win in La Liga on matchday 36:
#5 Jordi Alba
Having scored the winner at Betis last weekend, Jordi Alba was bubbling with confidence against Celta Vigo on Tuesday.
His work rate was excellent, he dashed forward when possible, and was sure-footed at the back as well. Alba was, by far, Barcelona’s most impactful defender on the pitch against the Galician outfit.
Over the course of the match, Alba registered two clearances, made two interceptions, attempted two tackles, and blocked a shot.
He also won three duels, played a key pass, and accurately delivered two of his four long balls.
#4 Frenkie de Jong
Deployed in a double-pivot role alongside Gavi, Frenkie de Jong produced a top-drawer performance on Tuesday.
The Barcelona midfielder was clever in possession, won his fair share of battles, and switched play with his immaculate long-ball distribution.
At the Camp Nou, the former Ajax midfielder attained 94.2 percent passing accuracy (86 passes), accurately delivered all six long balls, and played a key pass.
He also won three ground duels, attempted three tackles, and made an interception.
A tremendous outing from the Dutchman.
#3 Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay has not had the best debut season for the Blaugrana, but his last night’s performance showed that he still has plenty to offer.
Depay’s movement was great, he carried the ball well, and he comfortably won most of his duels. Of course, he tapped off Barca’s opener in the first half and played a big part in the second.
Had the Dutch international not provided a teasing cross into the area, Aubameyang wouldn’t have had the opportunity to intercept it and go for goal.
Against Celta, Depay dispatched three shots (one on target), completed two dribbles, and won five of six ground duels before being taken off for Ansu Fati in the 64th minute.
#2 Ousmane Dembele
From being booed following his botched contract talks, to being wholeheartedly applauded at the Camp Nou, Ousmane Dembele has come a long way in 2022.
Xavi initially limited his involvement, but now sees him as an integral member of the team, and for good reason. The Frenchman’s performance against Celta was a testament to the quality he brings to the table.
Dembele’s first major involvement came in the 30th minute, when he intelligently ran and cut the ball back towards Depay inside the box. The Dutchman applied the finishing touch to put his team ahead. His second assist was identical, only this time it was Aubameyang who was on the receiving end.
Against Celta, he played three key passes, completed five dribbles, made three interceptions, and won seven ground duels.
Dembele became La Liga's top assist provider (13) despite missing 18 games this season due to injury and COVID combined.
If he puts in such performances, Barca would be foolish not to offer him the contract he demands.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Former Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put an end to his mini drought for the Catalan outfit by scoring a brace against Celta Vigo.
The 32-year-old striker’s first goal came four minutes before the half-time break. Lurking inside the box, Aubameyang pounced on Nestor Araujo’s fluffed clearance and fired into the far corner.
His second goal came a couple of minutes into the second half. Dembele did superbly to set him up and he made no mistake turning it in.
Aubameyang is now Barca's joint-top scorer along with Depay (13 goals each) despite only joining in January.
The Gabon international also completed two long balls, drew a foul, and blocked a shot.
A fine outing by the veteran striker, who made way for Luuk de Jong in the 84th minute.
