Having arrived at FC Barcelona in the last summer transfer window, Ilkay Gundogan has not needed much time at all to become one of the key pieces for Xavi’s midfield.
The former Manchester City man slotted seamlessly into his new side this season and is the only player in the squad to have played in all of Barcelona’s twenty-seven games this term.
The German played in last night’s match against Osasuna after having recovered from an illness, and, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, gave one of the most complete performances of his Barcelona career in this match.
Gundogan’s most significant contribution in the match remained his assist to Lewandowski for the first goal of the game. With this pass, he has taken his assists tally to seven this season, which matches his numbers for the last season when he won the treble with Manchester City, and is only one less than his personal best.
The German’s game went far beyond only assists though, as he had the third-highest number of shots (2), the highest number of shots on goal (2), most chances created (6), most passes completed (82), second most passes in the final third (22), most crosses (8), second most dribbles (2), and most ball recoveries (7).
While the performance against Osasuna was a particular highlight for Gundogan, the German has been excelling in offensive aspects throughout this season.
In Barcelona’s squad, he is the one with the highest number of assists (7), most dangerous chances created (12), most decisive passes (65), most ball recoveries (137), and the most passes completed (1602).
All these numbers go on to show the importance of Gundogan for Xavi’s team. The German has been one of the most reliable players for Xavi this season, and has been available when other players like Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong have all missed several games due to injuries.
