Barcelona full-back puts extraordinary numbers against Nico Williams, pundit reacts | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have bounced back impressively from last season’s trophyless campaign, with two consecutive victories marking a strong start to the Hansi Flick era.

Triumphing over Athletic Club, the Catalan giants displayed several encouraging signs. In addition to maintaining cohesion on a collective level, several individuals stepped up to the plate.

Among the high achievers was Jules Kounde. The Frenchman is becoming increasingly comfortable as Barcelona’s first-choice right-back, making noticeable progress with each passing week.

Kounde locked up Nico Williams

Faced with the gargantuan challenge of marking Nico Williams, the breakout star of the 2024 UEFA Euro, Kounde delivered an outstanding performance.

Nico Williams found himself largely subdued in his duel with Jules Kounde. Struggling to make an impact, Williams did not complete any of his five crosses and managed merely 12 passes, with no successful long balls.

His dribble success rate stood at 50%, and he failed to register a single shot on target. Kounde’s defensive prowess was further exemplified as the Basque winger lost possession 19 times throughout the match.

A masterclass in anticipation

Moreover, the 25-year-old refused to let Nico Williams’ blistering pace become an excuse for being outmaneuvered.

“Kounde’s match was a masterclass on how to defend a player who’s faster than you. Behind the space and close to the wing, he won all the duels. Nico did not go past him once,” Barcelona pundit Alex Delmas affirmed.

Jules Kounde’s heatmap, dominating the right side of the field.

In fact, the defender’s assertive display even drew praise from coach Hansi Flick, who was delighted with Kounde and Robert Lewandowski’s performances.

“Kounde and Lewandowski are playing at a very high level. I’m so happy with them,” the German claimed in the post-match press conference.

While Kounde largely negated Williams’ threat in the Euros as well, he found himself on the losing side with France. Today, his efforts culminated in a dominant victory for Barcelona.