Xavi:"Dembele is still one of the best in the world in his position”

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, on his 43rd birthday, guided his team to a nervy victory, thanks to Dembele. Xavi Hernandez confirmed that Barcelona lacked decisiveness and scored the second goal against Real Sociedad in the quarter-finals of the King's Cup.
Ousmane Dembele’s strike, capping a brilliant individual display, helped Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 1-0 on Wednesday, and reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals. Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, on his 43rd birthday, guided his team to a nervy victory, thanks to Dembele. He continued, "I will leave the match happy, we played a great 60 minutes and created many chances. In 11 against 11. They only hit the crossbar once. What we cannot do is relax after the first goal. We have to go for the second and avoid tension." At the other end, Takefusa Kubo crashed a shot against the crossbar, as the game ebbed and flowed in an entertaining fashion. Barcelona fans frequently showed their ire towards referee Jesus Gil Manzano in the first half — he was the official who sent off Lewandowski against Osasuna in November, resulting in a ban that the Pole is still serving in La Liga. However, it was Real Sociedad midfielder Mendez who was sent off at Camp Nou on Wednesday, just before half-time. The Spaniard lunged in on Sergio Busquets, catching his compatriot with his studs above the ankle. The coach defended Dembele when taking over at Barcelona in November 2021, saying that with hard work he could be the best winger in the world. “The most important thing is having the mentality that you will make the difference at Barcelona,” Xavi told reporters on Wednesday. “For me, Dembele is still one of the best in the world in his position. I am happy for him because he’s a good guy and a good professional.“He has turned things around and that is not easy at Barca.”
The Catalans came out of the blocks quickly and Robert Lewandowski had an effort blocked after the electric Dembele found him.