Memphis Depay has explained why he needs to perform his best every time he plays this season after scoring in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Elche.
'Unfortunately I don't play a lot of minutes'-Depay speaks after scoring in Barcelona's win over Elche
The Netherlands star was on target as Barcelona moved ahead of rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight.
Depay was on target in Barcelona's victory against Elche
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Depay was on target as Barcelona moved ahead of rivals Real Madrid in La Liga. Robert Lewandowski put Barca ahead following a ball from Alejandro Balde before the Spanish youngster set up Depay for the second.
Pedri had a goal ruled out just before halftime, but Lewandowski sealed a 3-0 win for Xavi Hernandez's men with his second of the match three minutes after the break.
Depay shines in Barcelona's easy win
However, it was Depay who grabbed the headlines after he was handed a rare start. The Dutch international has fallen in the pecking order following the arrival of Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele.
But he was handed a rare start on Saturday afternoon, with Xavi selecting him ahead of the Brazilian winger. Depay took full advantage of the situation, and he stated after the match why he needs to give his best every time he plays.
"Unfortunately, I don't play a lot of minutes this season, but I'll keep trying to take advantage of them," Depay said after the game.
"I'm happy to score, I try to take advantage of opportunities, it's what I do every day in training," he added.
Xavi's praise for Lewandowski and Dembele
Meanwhile, Xavi praised both Lewandowski and Dembele for another brilliant performance. The two players have been arguably Barcelona's best players this season, and Xavi was quick to praise their performances following the game against Elche.
"Lewandowski is very humble, very hard-working, very professional," Xavi said.
Alejandro Balde assisted two first half goals for Robert Lewandowski and Memphis Depay
Barcelona
"He's very committed and very hungry. It's a luxury for us to have him on the team."
"Dembélé has been a professional. He had slept very little today, I asked him how he was and he said he wanted to play. He always wants to play," the Barcelona manager added.
Barcelona moved to the top of the table with 16 points from six games, pending the time Real Madrid take on Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
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