Barcelona coach Xavi "very happy" with Dembele's performance against Juventus
Barcelona coach Xabi Hernandez said striker Ousmane Dembele was reborn after the French international scored twice in the Spanish team's 2-2 draw with Italian Juventus in a pre-season friendly in Texas on Tuesday.
Dembele gave Barcelona the lead in the 34th minute after manipulating the Juventus defense and hitting a powerful ball that goalkeeper Wojciech Szczecin failed to clear.
Five minutes later, Moise Kean equalized for Juventus when he easily converted Juan Cuadrado's cross into the goal.
But the equalizer did not last long, as Dembele restored the supremacy of the Spanish team in a similar way, as he manipulated the Juventus defense and hit easily into the net.
Kane returned to adjust his team's situation after a pass from Manuel Locatelli six minutes after the start of the second half.
Dembele has struggled to make an impression since joining Barcelona in 2017, but Xavi praised the 25-year-old after the match, saying that Dembele had shown great improvement since Xavi led the team in November last year.
"He showed his true potential," Xavi told reporters on Tuesday. "He is a different player with exceptional skills. There are not many players like him. He helps us a lot with the way he plays."
"There aren't many players who can make a difference in football but Dembele has that ability. I didn't know Dembele before November and I'm very happy for him."
Barcelona, who finished second in La Liga last season, will start their new season at home to Rayo Vallecano on August 13.
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