Ousmane Dembele will start for Barcelona against Bayern Munich
The forward has not started for Barça since getting injured at Euro 2020 with France
It's been a strange season for Ousmane Dembele. He has only played 104 minutes across four games but his contract renewal remains a priority for the club and the coach, Xavi Hernandez. In fact, his presence has served as a wake-up call to the team every time he has come off the bench.
"We have a plan with him," Xavi said after falling to Real Betis on Sunday. The coach has blind faith in Dembele and believes he can become one of the best forwards in the world. He already is at Barça, although he's been left with little competition. The plan included playing as a substitute in the last three games so that, against Bayern Munich, he will be ready to start and lead the team's attack. Xavi is aware that Barça's chances of winning in Germany pass through Dembele, one of the few players capable of breaking down defences and unbalancing a match.
With the Betis game out the way, the side for Munich is beginning to be drawn up and Dembele's one of the most important pieces. It will be his first start this season following an injury with France at Euro 2020. He has so far played 25 minutes against Dynamo Kiev, 24 against Benfica, 24 against Villarreal and 31 vs. Betis.
It's a lot to put on him, but he's shown signs he's capable of taking it on.
