Xavi hails ‘lethal’ Dembele after Barcelona’s Copa del Rey win

Barcelona coach Xavi was full of praise for Ousmane Dembele after seeing the France international score the winner for his team against Real Sociedad

Dembele struck in the 52nd minute to send Barcelona into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey with a fine run and finish at the Camp Nou.

Xavi spoke about the attacker after the match and how he has improved since he took charge of the club.

“I think Dembele has matured a lot since we took over. We have just given him the tools. He is lethal,” he said.

“We always say when he comes inside, he has to shoot more because he has that quality and he can make the difference in games.

“You see the faces of the full-backs, they suffer. We have just given him confidence. He has so much potential. I believe in him. I think a lot of this comes down to making the right decisions. He is also enjoying himself and the fans are enjoying him.”

There’s no doubt Dembele was the star of the show for Barcelona, although the Catalans were also indebted to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen once again as he made some vital saves to keep another clean sheet.