Osasuna legend hails veteran Barcelona duo – ‘Always been one of the best’ | OneFootball

As Osasuna get set to take on FC Barcelona tonight at Montjuic in La Liga, their club legend, Jan Urban, has heaped praise on his compatriots and Blaugrana stars Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny.

Urban, a former striker, played for Osasuna between 1989 and 1994, with his most memorable moment coming in a game against Real Madrid as he scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in 1990.

The 62-year-old spoke to COPE (h/t Mundo Deportivo) ahead of tonight’s La Liga showdown between his former club and Barcelona.

Praise for Lewandowski, Szczesny

During the interview, Urban spoke highly of his fellow Polish footballers, Lewandowski and Szczesny, hailing their impact at Barcelona.

Regarding the Barcelona No. 9, the 62-year-old remarked: “I have always said, even before he came to Barcelona, that if Lewandowski gets chances, he will definitely score.”

“He is doing what the team and the coach expected of a player like him. It is no coincidence, he is fulfilling his role.”

Making a difference for Barcelona. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

As for Szczesny, who delivered his best performance for Barcelona against Benfica in Lisbon, Urban highlighted his quality.

“He has always been one of the best goalkeepers, that is why he has come to a team like Barça. He is showing his experience and calmness,” said the Osasuna legend.

“The only problem he has is adapting to Barcelona’s high defensive line, but that is just a matter of time. The decision to make him the starter, even though Inaki Pena did well, was the right one,” he added.

On Barcelona vs Osasuna and title chances

Commenting on the match between Barcelona and Osasuna, Urban does not expect it to resemble the 4-2 result at El Sadar in the first half of the season.

“It will be a completely different game. Osasuna almost always struggles in Barcelona,” he remarked.

Regarding Barcelona’s chances of competing for the titles still in play – La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League – Urban was optimistic.

“Barcelona have a strong chance in all three competitions they are still alive in,” he concluded.