De Jong and Kounde stand out, decisive Lewandowski – Talking points from Barcelona’s victory vs Osasuna | OneFootball

Barcelona prevailed 2-1 against Osasuna in a tough away contest in La Liga to make it three wins in a row yesterday.

Jules Kounde provided the breakthrough for the Catalans of the stroke of half-time, but Chimy Avila’s stunning equaliser in the 76th minute shocked the visitors.

With the game heading down to the wire, Barca were handed a great opportunity to move closer to the finish line after Robert Lewandowski won a penalty.

The Polish striker slotted home from the spot with great composure, with the strike eventually proving to be the winner.

Let’s look at the key takeaways from the Catalan giants’ hard-earned victory.

Frenkie de Jong masterclass for the umpteenth time

It is safe to say that Frenkie de Jong has grown into one of the pivotal players for Barca, one without whom the Catalan giants look ordinary.

There were questions on who would lead the midfield following the departure of Sergio Busquets, and De Jong has well and truly answered the call.

While the lack of consistency was previously considered a sticking point of his game, the Dutch midfielder is now hardly putting a foot wrong week in and week out.

De Jong produced another masterful performance against Osasuna, which eventually handed him the Man of the Match award.

Oriol Romeu also deserves his fair share of credit, not only for his impressive performances but also for offering De Jong more freedom to operate at his best.

Jules Kounde – the defensive colossus of the Blaugrana

The Blaugrana fans didn’t see the best version of Jules Kounde last season, albeit he played a big part in the league triumph.

It was mainly down to the Frenchman switching between the centre-back and full-back roles under the instructions of Xavi.

However, this could be his season as he has made an exceptional start to the 2023/23 campaign after returning to his preferred centre-back position.

The Frenchman was a colossus in the backline against Osasuna, producing a scintillating display to keep the opponents at bay.

To top it off, Kounde scored the opening goal, heading home from a corner kick.

The 24-year-old is proving to be worth every penny Barca paid for him. If he maintains this consistency, they can aim for more silverware this season.

Lewandowski with another decisive goal

Robert Lewandowski has been under scrutiny in recent times after suffering an evident dip in his performances.

Many people believe the Polish man is heading towards the twilight of his career and is no longer the player who scores goals for fun.

Although it can be true to a certain extent, the 35-year-old still can’t be written off as he continues to come up big in crucial situations.

Lewandowski scored the winning strike in a great comeback victory over Villarreal, and he was decisive again last night against Osasuna, winning and scoring a penalty.

The current Pichichi holder has two goals this season and appears to be a genuine contender to retain the trophy.