Sergino Dest needs to improve after being given a reality check by Mbappe

Barcelona’s woes continue. The Catalans were thrashed 4-1 at their own backyard against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 and they could not capitalize upon Atletico Madrid dropping points in the league. In the Champions League, the Catalans were shown just how fragmented their team really is as Kylian Mbappe tore through their defense to score a hat-trick and earn his club a sizable advantage for the second leg. Sergino Dest is one of the players who should really reflect up his performance from that match.

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The 20-year-old right-back from the United States was up against one of the world’s best that night and the Frenchman really showed him the difference in quality. Dest is known for his speed but was unable to keep up with Mbappe as the World Cup winner went on to score three past a struggling Barcelona defense.

This was a harsh reality check for Dest, who had a pretty average season so far. Dest was known in Ajax to be a very advanced full-back who helped out the attack a lot with his speed and agility however, against the likes of Mbappe, he could not cope up. There was a clear gap in class and now Dest realizes how much he needs to work to become the best in the game.

Barcelona boss talks Sergino Dest.

When manager, Ronald Koeman, was questioned by reporters about the struggling right-back, the Dutch manager replied by saying that Dest’s problems arise from the fact that he has not been fully fit the whole season. The player was injured for a bit and was not in the team in the match against Sevilla. Koeman went on to say,

"“He’s a young player, that’s good, he can learn, but he needs to learn. With all the positives he can bring to the team, he [also] needs to learn it is a big step to play for Barcelona than to play in Holland. He needs time, he needs advice, but it starts with the player himself.”Source Goal"

Dest has been integral in Koeman’s plan and he has been one of the only signings for the Catalans this season. He has started in almost all the games as he was the one who replaced Nelson Semedo. He also became the first American to score for Barcelona but his match against PSG showed us that he still has a long way to go and he must push himself if he wants to reach the very top.

Will Sergino Dest be able to live up to the expectations of succeeding like Dani Alves?