Pedri has unquestionably dominated column inches lately, but so should Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has taken to life at Barcelona like a duck to water.
The aforementioned men were decisive for Xavi Hernandez’s team in the last round, scoring one each as the Spanish giants advanced at Galatasaray’s expense.
While the Gabon superstar’s goal paled in comparison to the midfielder’s strike that demonstrated the wunderkind’s skill and precision, the importance of the striker’s second was untold.
It set up a meeting with Thursday’s opponents and taking his tally to three for the season is not Aubameyang’s only ambition against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Edging ever closer to Radamel Falcao is no mean feat but Auba’s two strikes in the Europa League since switching from Arsenal to the Camp Nou mean he has moved from joint-fifth to joint-third in the competition’s all-time scorers list with 24 goals altogether.
Score another at Frankfurt and the ex-Arsenal frontman moves ahead of Munas Dabbur (24 goals), leaving him one behind Athletic Club icon Aritz Aduriz and only five back of Falcao. With Barca in such scoring form, the in-form marksman ought to believe he can equal the former Atletico Madrid marksman.
Of course, any likelihood of Auba matching or even supplanting the competition’s all-time top scorer this term will be enhanced if Barca’s progress in Europe’s secondary club competition continues.
The La Liga giants have been rampant since the January transfer window ended, averaging 2.67 goals in their last 12 games in all competitions. In the previous 12 under the club legend, that average was 1.5 goals a game.
The arrival from Arsenal has netted nine goals in that time (10 if you include total goal involvements) and another in Barcelona and Frankfurt’s first-ever competitive meeting will take him closer to Falcao.
With Barca unlikely to play in this competition next year — unless they bungle a top-four spot in the Spanish top-flight or make a mess in next year’s Champions League group stage — this season could be the 32-year-old’s last chance of catching El Tigre.
