Ousmane Dembele joins a long line of Barcelona players who have noticed the magnificence of Lionel Messi both as a teammate and a footballer.
The duo has registered a combined tally of 43 goals this season and is expected to be presented starting roles for the Champions League Round of 16 clash against Olympique Lyon.
When asked about his partnership with Messi, the former Borussia Dortmund player said, “It’s great, he makes football easier. I give him the ball and he does incredible things. When he’s on the pitch it’s easier for a forward, because the rivals focus mainly on him.”
Dembele understandably has been able to replace the void left by Neymar when the latter moved to Paris Saint-Germain. Still only 21, the French international has quite a lot to prove of himself but his chemistry with Messi has certainly shown promise of a lucrative future.
The Blaugrana are not too pleased to see their arch rivals, Real Madrid clinch 3 Champions League trophies consecutively over the past 3 seasons. Dembele added regarding Tuesday’s matchup, “They’re a team with very good players and it’s very difficult to win there. They demonstrated this season – winning against City and PSG – that we will have to be very attentive and not think that the game will be easy. [Nabil] Fekir – suspended for the first leg – is their best player, but there are other players who have great qualities, and we’ll have to watch everyone.”
“I look closely at their Ligue 1 matches, and I play alongside some of their players in the French national team like Fekir, [Ferland] Mendy or Moussa Dembele. They are dangerous all over the pitch.”
Dembele further added, “We have to be focused on our goals. We want to win titles, win the Champions League and also the league, of course!”
