There’s little doubt that one of Barcelona’s best performers this season has been Ilkay Gundogan. The German international arrived in Catalonia last summer on the back of captaining Manchester City to a historic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, and it was a move that was seen as a major coup for the Blaugrana.
While it has not been the easiest start for Gundogan, as Barcelona have had plenty of struggles, he has stepped up on occasion, with the latest being on Thursday against Las Palmas. After being fouled in the penalty area in the final minutes, Gundogan stepped up to score from 12 yards, ensuring a very important 2-1 win for the Catalans.
Ahead of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey clash against Barbastro on Sunday (via Sport), head coach Xavi Hernandez paid tribute to Gundogan, whom he lauded as an angelic figure.
“Ilkay is contributing a lot to us. The other day he made the difference in a difficult moment. He is a player who marks the personality of the team. He is always positive. He has fallen from the sky for us.”
Gundogan is sure to continue being an important figure for Barcelona, and he will be influential in their pursuit of trophies this season, starting with the Copa del Rey.
