Wu to face Messi for the first time in Catalan showdown
Wu Lei, the star of Chinese football, and Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, meet for the first time this week when Barcelona hosts Espanyol in the second Catalan Derby of the LaLiga season.
The game is set to be the biggest of new Espanyol forward Wu’s career, coming off the back of his impressive start to life in the Catalan capital. The China international’s performances so far for his new side suggest that the local rival and LaLiga-leader will have to watch him very carefully.
Ernesto Valverde’s team has moved to a 10-point lead over second placed side Atletico de Madrid on the table, keeping the Blaugrana on course for an eighth title in its last 11 campaigns.
Messi, 31, is also well on course for a record sixth career ‘pichichi’ prize as the top scorer in LaLiga Santander having scored 29 times in his first 26 games this season, building a lead of 11 goals over his teammate Suarez in second position.
December's last meeting with Barça came at a bad time for Espanyol, which had been riding high in the LaLiga Santander standings through the European Autumn. Injuries and loss of form saw coach Rubi’s team win just one of 10 league games to drop towards the relegation zone. Results have swung back more positively in recent months.
A catalyst for this revival was Espanyol’s Chinese ownership Rastar Managerial Group bringing Wu to the club in January. On debut at Villarreal the forward made an immediate impact off the bench, helping his team come from 2-0 down to draw 2-2. The 27 year-old’s next game saw him fouled for a penalty in a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano.
Such displays saw Wu quickly establish himself in the starting XI alongside 'Los Pericos' top scorer Borja Iglesias. His first LaLiga Santander goal came with a well-timed run behind the defence and neat finish to seal a 3-1 win at home to Real Valladolid. With this goal, the former Shanghai SIPG star became the first Chinese player to score in any of Europe’s top five leagues for 10 years.
Just one defeat in Wu’s first seven LaLiga games has propelled Espanyol back into the conversation for Europa League qualification next season. His impact at the RCDE Stadium has also made headlines back home, where he was already well known as the all-time top goalscorer in Chinese Super League history (102) and a scorer of 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for China. Visiting China recently, LaLiga president Javier Tebas spoke of how Wu’s exploits at Espanyol are already helping solidify links between football in the two countries.
The Chinese star’s next challenge, this weekend, is to improve his club's record against Messi’s Barca. It is ten years since Espanyol won at the Camp Nou: a 2-1 victory in February 2009. A winning 'Catalan capital derby' goal would ensure Wu's eternal status as a Pericos hero.
