On the back of some fine performances in the Europa League and his brace for Villarreal in La Liga a week ago, Chukwueze headed into his side’s home game against Barcelona with confidence. 

It was evident from the kick-off that he was eager to make an impression. He didn’t stay out wide much, darting inside midfield to create problems for the Barcelona defence. 

That was how the first goal of the game came in the 26th minute. The Nigerian received a defence-splitting pass out of nowhere, darted into the box, before rounding up the Barcelona goalkeeper to finish into an empty net. 

Things got easier for him when Jordi Alba, marking him, slipped as he darted into the box. 

Despite scoring the first goal of the game, Chukwueze was on the losing side as Barcelona came from a goal down to win the game 2-1.

Yet, nothing more could be asked of Chukwueze from that game. He was always a threat in that game and should have had an assist also. 

He has shown in another game that he can truly deliver on his potentials. 

It’s a crucial week for Villarreal, who will next host Arsenal in the semifinals of the Europa League on Thursday. 

It’s another opportunity to show how much he has added to his game and how reliable he can be in big moments.