Karim Adeyemi finished the match against Racing without scoring any of Barça’s seven goals. But that was the only thing he missed. Because few times can a footballer influence a match so much without finding the opponent’s goal. The German confirmed a tremendous performance, one of those that explain why Hansi Flick requested his signing. It is not easy to impress Camp Nou, accustomed to its stars delivering memorable nights. Adeyemi managed to enter that club and stole the heart of the blaugrana fans.
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The German has many speeds. The first is that he runs a lot. Probably more than almost everyone. But against Racing he showed that he also knows how to accelerate with the ball, change pace, brake… “He gives a lot and has a lot of room to adapt to our philosophy. He gives us a lot, as we saw against Racing. He had all the culés behind him. He was not having a good time in Germany. And he is also a guy who is well-liked in the locker room. He has great speed,” highlighted Hansi Flick.
He gives a lot and has a lot of room to adapt to our philosophy”
Hansi Flick
FC Barcelona Coach
His numbers depict an extraordinary night. Eight shots, six dribbles, four chances created, two penalties won, and one assist. He also recovered five balls and caused four fouls. He completed 85.7% of his passes and participated 74 times in the play. A huge volume for a winger whose mission is to speed up matches and not accumulate possessions.
Adeyemi plays at a different speed. Against Racing he pushed his marker to the limit again and again and turned the left side of the blaugrana attack into a permanent threat. His understanding with Cancelo multiplied the defense’s problems. But his repertoire is much broader than that of a sprinter. He moved inside, appeared between the lines, looked for the backs of the center-backs… And when Racing tried to stop him, he won two penalties.
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The only thing that resisted him was the goal. He had it very close after a great pass from Pedri. Adeyemi tried a chip over Agirrezabala, but it went just wide. Then he kept trying until accumulating eight shots. Even in stoppage time, with the match decided, he sought the goal with an acrobatic shot. By then Camp Nou was already at his feet.
Because with Racing exhausted and the score settled, Adeyemi still had fuel and ambition. In the 89th minute he recovered the ball and entered the area. He could have looked for his goal, the missing reward, but he held just long enough to gift the ball to Lamine Yamal for the 7-2. After a night playing for the spectacle, he gave the goal to the winger, who had previously missed a penalty.
Spotify Camp Nou has already discovered him. He has participated in all the matches and has already started against Elche, Feyenoord, and Racing, as well as scoring three goals. But against the Cantabrian team he showed a personality that captivated everyone. Adeyemi is that juggler who entertains the fans while the team keeps winning.
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