Wu Lei, green shoots

Play a lot or a little, if something does not leave Wu Lei is indifferent. In his country, logically, because any of his actions becomes a ‘trending topic’ on social networks like Weibo. And in Espanyol, because it comes to show in a whole derby – as he already demonstrated with that apotheosis 2-2 against Barcelona on January 4, 2020 – that sometimes less is more. And he did it right the day he turned 50 games in 2021.

Only Wu Lei played 12 minutes in Barcelona-Espanyol last Saturday, since he entered in 78 ‘as a substitute for Adrián Embarba, and had to attack not as a center forward (his natural demarcation) or from the left (his most common position in the parakeet team) but breaking into the right wing. And even so, prowled the goal a couple of times very clear.

In the first, he served a delicious assistance to the head of Nany Dimata, who completely alone against Marc-André Ter Stegen sent the ball wide. The second coincided with the last action of the match, when it was watch out for a mistake by the experienced Philippe Coutinho to try to repeat his own feat in a derby, although he was inches short.

And it has merit that the attacker got so close to the tying goal, taking into account that in those few minutes he played He barely had time to touch the ball eight times, participate in two duels and make four passes.

His participation in Espanyol has nothing to do with what he is used to doing with the Chinese team, of which he is the leader and only footballer who plays in Europe. In this last break, last week, scored in both games, against Oman and Australia -This, from a penalty in front of Matt Ryan, Real Sociedad goalkeeper, next rival parakeet – and was designated by the AFC (the Asian UEFA) as best player on the continent in that week of international commitments, with 38.44 percent of the votes among eight candidates.

Just turned 30, last Friday, Wu Lei has scored nine goals for China in 2021, the same for example Karim Benzema y Antoine Griezmann with France, or what Lionel Messi with Argentina. Nevertheless, with Espanyol he only scored one, on January 6, in a Copa del Rey match against Burgos.

And that, between commitments of his team (40) and the national team (10), already accumulates 50 matches of all kinds in this calendar year. An average of one encounter every six days. He has between five or six left until December 31 to confirm that those green shoots exhibited in the final stretch of the derby, in a demanding setting like the Camp Nou, can grow until he sees the Wu Lei of yesteryear again.