When taking into consideration the entirety of Barcelona’s performance against Osasuna in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, it is clear that big chunks were once again not really good enough for this club.

Currently, there are standards that should be established, but they are not being met on a weekly basis when they should be.

However, it would be fairly dishonest to discount the victory by a score of 2-0 as a result of being fortunate.

The squad from Pamplona offered very little in the way of danger, and even when they did, the defense of Barcelona and Inaki Pena were normally capable of handling the situation.

Ilkay Gundogan, on the other hand, deserves all the praise that it is possible to give for the evening.

Throughout the course of this season, the German has frequently found himself on the receiving end of some rather severe criticism from culers; yet, his statistics from Thursday’s game give testament to a solid performance from the midfielder.

His match was a match of perfection that was understated.

When you watch the game again, all you need to do is focus on Gundogan’s movement and his ability to associate with his teammates. I promise you that you will see a completely different match from the one you thought you were seeing.

It would not be out of place for Robert Lewandowski to receive his first assist since the two of them were teammates at Dortmund in 2012. This would be a welcome development for the Polish international player, who is in desperate need of a boost at this very moment.

Despite the fact that Lamine Yamal’s finish was remarkable, the goal was mostly due to Joao Felix’s outstanding run. Lamine Yamal’s late second goal also earned him the distinction of being the youngest player to ever score in this competition.

There were a couple of other performances that were satisfactory, such as those presented by Inaki Pena and Andreas Christensen; nonetheless, it is reasonable to assume that Xavi will be aware of the fact that he still has a great deal of work to do before the championship match on Sunday.

When compared to the Blaugranes, Los Blancos appear to be a well-oiled machine; nonetheless, this is a Clasico.

“I wish there was more frustration and anger, more disappointment,” Gundogan stated following the 2-1 loss to Real earlier in the current campaign. “I wish there was more disappointment […]” I did not come here with the intention of losing games of this nature and allowing a gap to develop. You should know that I am an experienced player, and it is my obligation to ensure that these things do not occur. We require opposing forces.”

The match that will take place on Sunday is the ideal opportunity for the midfielder and his teammates to exact immediate vengeance and add another piece of hardware to their growing collection of trophies.

They will also need to improve their performance to the same level as it was throughout the contest.

The pile-driver that Jude Bellingham scored will be the thing that people remember most about it, but let’s not forget that Barcelona was by much the superior squad up until that time.

As a result of Pedri’s return to fitness, Xavi has received yet another crucial boost. He must ensure that his strategies are effective or else he runs the risk of being embarrassed, which is something that Ilkay Gundogan certainly will not accept.