Juanmi’s goal that condemned Barça to defeat against Betis came in the 77th minute, already with Dembele in the field, but there is no doubt that the azulgrana team, at least in attack, was another with the French in the field. It already happened in the duel against Benfica in the Champions League, when the best minutes came with him on the pitch, something that was repeated against the Verdiblancos. This was stated Xavi at the end of the game, ensuring that “The second half was very good and we deserved to score a goal”, or also Jordi Alba, who indicated that “Betis’s goal came when we were at our best.”
The data also confirm that the Barça, almost disappeared in the face of goal in the first 45 minutes, where a forced shot by Coutinho well saved by Rui Silva was almost the only really dangerous opportunity, changed in this sense after the break, especially after the entry in the absence of half an hour from Dembélé, precisely because of the Brazilian, from more to less and who only appeared in the initial section.
With Dembélé came the best minutes of Barça in attack
Barça added 10 shots, without counting those blocked (2 more), in the whole game –only 3 between clubs and 7 out-, of which 8 were in the second half. Almost all, already with Dembele, that He tried it four times, even if it was all. As soon as he left, as they say, the team was already loaded on his back and he tried a first shot from the left, and almost immediately afterwards, he returned to the charge with another shot from the right, but again deflected. Still 0-0, he tried his luck twice more, the second after a great dribble in the area, but his shots went out again, just barely. Figures that expose some of his colleagues.
With everything, and after three games since his reappearance against Benfica After relapsing from his injury in Kiev, everyone entering from the bench, it is difficult to think that Dembélé will not play from the start in the ‘final’ this next Wednesday in Munich, where not to depend on what happens at Benfica-Dinamo Kiev , Barça will have to beat Bayern if they do not want to be in the second round of the Champions League. Xavi will have the last word, although seeing what he said after the duel against Betis, ensuring that “generates illusion because he is a great player, we have protected him because there is risk and he is a referential player, It is the Dembélé that we want”, Everything indicates that it will be so.
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