Some players stand out from the crowd, but then there are those whose skills seem almost magical, and Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan is definitely in the latter category.
When he steps onto the field with his exceptional talent, it is truly a sight to behold. That was evident in Montjuic when the German faced Real Sociedad in a recent match, which Barcelona won 2-0.
In the 38th minute, Gundogan delivered a breathtaking pass to Pedri, a move only a few could envision. Pedri then set up Raphinha, whose shot hit the post.
Just two minutes later, Gundogan provided an excellent assist to Lamine Yamal, threading the ball between a defender’s legs, allowing Lamine to open the scoring.
It is no secret that Gundogan brings a lot to the table, but it is unfortunate that his team is not fully capitalizing on his talents.
Gundogan is having a perfect season
This season, the midfielder has created 91 goal-scoring opportunities, and with the assist he provided in the match against Sociedad, he now has eight assists in the league, in addition to scoring five goals himself.
Despite being part of a Barcelona team in transition, if he were to play in a more settled team, his outstanding performances would likely be even more impactful.
This season, with a few games still left to be played, Gundogan has contributed to a whopping 18 goals (G5, A13) across all competition, matching his last year’s tally when he won the treble with Manchester City.
Interestingly, this happens to be Gundogan’s best return in professional football and with a few matches still left, there are chances that he might end the season with his career-best figures.
Taking a detailed look at his previous years’ figures, his goal contribution was as follows:
22/23: 18 G+A
21/22: 16 G+A
20/21: 21 G+A
19/20: 10 G+A
18/19: 14 G+A
17/18: 13 G+A
Gundogan will miss the next match
Next Thursday, Barcelona are scheduled to play against the lowest-ranked team in La Liga. This match will mark the end of the 36th round, and their opponents will be Almeria, who have known their relegation fate for a while now.
However, Barcelona’s coach, Xavi, will face a challenge as he won’t have Gundogan, one of his key players this season, available.
It is to be noted that Gundogan got a yellow card in the previous game against Real Sociedad, which means he will have to sit out this upcoming match due to a one-game suspension.
