Barcelona Manager Xavi ‘Very Happy’ with Rejuvenated Dembele

Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the second half of a preseason friendly against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the second half of a preseason friendly against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Barcelona Manager Xavi ‘Very Happy’ with Rejuvenated Dembele

Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the second half of a preseason friendly against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona controls the ball during the second half of a preseason friendly against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium on July 19, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said forward Ousmane Dembele is a player reborn after the France international scored twice in the LaLiga club's 2-2 pre-season draw with Serie A side Juventus on Tuesday at the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Dembele opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a fine solo effort, dribbling past Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro before drilling a fierce shot past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, but his goal was cancelled out by Moise Kean's equaliser in the 39th minute.

Dembele immediately restored Barcelona's lead, scoring his second just a minute later, only for Kean to once again draw Juventus level with a second-half strike.

Speaking after the match, Xavi lavished praise on the 25-year-old Dembele, who has struggled to make an impact since joining Barcelona in 2017, saying he has shown a marked improvement in the eight months since Xavi took charge in November last year.

"He has shown what he is capable of. He is different, special. There are not many of this type," Xavi told reporters on Tuesday. "He gives us a lot with the way we play.

"Not everyone has the ability to make a difference in the world of soccer and he does. He is involved and he shows it. I don't know the Dembele from before November, I don't know him. I am very happy with this one."

Barcelona, who finished second in LaLiga last season, kick off their league campaign at home to Rayo Vallecano on Aug. 13.



Hamilton Goes Fastest for Ferrari as Rain in Bahrain Hits F1 Testing 

Formula One F1 - Pre-Season testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 27, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during testing. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Pre-Season testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 27, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during testing. (Reuters)
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Hamilton Goes Fastest for Ferrari as Rain in Bahrain Hits F1 Testing 

Formula One F1 - Pre-Season testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 27, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during testing. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Pre-Season testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 27, 2025 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during testing. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in his new Ferrari on the morning of the second day of Formula 1 preseason testing as rain in the desert affected Thursday's session.

The seven-time champion's best time was nearly four-tenths of a second faster than his former teammate George Russell of Mercedes. Carlos Sainz, Jr. was third fastest for Williams.

Hamilton's time was also a second faster than the best lap from the first day of testing Wednesday, which was set by Lando Norris for McLaren. Times in testing often don’t reflect a driver or car’s true pace because of different strategies.

Adding to the unseasonably cold conditions, the rare sight of light rain in Bahrain midway through the session was an extra complication for teams trying to learn more about their new cars.

Expecting dry conditions in the desert, only two teams — Aston Martin and Haas — brought wet-weather tires for the test.

Testing continues later Thursday and the first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.