What a (blessed) problem Xavi has
Xavi Hernández has a (blessed) problem putting together the offensive line for next day’s match against Osasuna. The good performance of his attack men makes it difficult for him to choose his trident. Lamine Yamal has been chosen to replace Raphinha’s two-game suspension due to suspension, but the Brazilian will be back next weekend. Ferran Torres is also showing excellent performance and Ansu Fati and Abde are demanding a greater role.
Raphinha has already completed the two suspension crosses with which he was punished for his expulsion in Getafe. The Brazilian will return, a priori, therefore, to eleven. The big question is whether he will do it on the right wing or on the left. Lamine Yamal has notably covered his absence: he has been one of the best Barça players in this start of the competition and, for example, against Villarreal he was chosen the MVP of the match. He assisted Gavi and revolutionized the attack: he sent two balls to the post in the 76 minutes he played. His main records were: 4 shots, 3 recoveries, 6 duels won and 36 good passes out of 40. Also, with his ball to the Andalusian, Yamal, at 16 years and 45 days, has become the youngest player to give the last pass before scoring in the 21st century domestic competition, surpassing Ansu Fati who achieved the record in September 2019 in the match against Valencia, when he was 16 years and 318 days old.
Lamine is not a starter at the whim of the coach: his decision-making is almost always the correct one, he is intelligent, he is extraordinary…” My expectations are very high with Lamine. He doesn’t start at the whim of the coach. His decision-making is almost always the correct one. He’s intelligent. He’s extraordinary. I hope he spends many years at Barça, he can mark an era. But calmly, “I don’t think he has management problems, he’s delighted and happy. He’s humble, he works, he likes football… I see him ready to play. His age surprises me: he just turned 16″, Xavi commented a few hours ago, by what everything indicates is that he will keep the young man from Espluges on the team. Raphinha could therefore leave his right wing this next day to the young talent of 16 years and move to the left, a position that the Brazilian already occupied last year when Ousmane Dembélé moved on the right wing of the culé attack. But the presence of the former Leeds player in that area also has other important implications for the team. Ferran Torres, who was already Pichichi in the preseason, is crying out for more minutes: he has been a substitute in the last two games and has been a great boost, scoring two goals. The coach, who has decided to keep Lewandowski at the top of the attack, admits the great moment of the Valencianand his great professionalism. ” Ferran has ambition and desire. He believes it. He is clear that he wants to succeed at Barça. I am very happy for him. He is humble. He is always there. He equalizes us in a game that was complicated. I already said that he was an example”, he said, the former midfielder after the clash at La Cerámica.
Ferran Torres has ambition and desire, he is an example; he wants to succeed at BarçaBut, in addition, giving the bands to Lamine Yamal and Raphinha would also mean sitting out or delaying Gavi and also making two footballers who are destined to be important disgruntled: Ansu Fati and Abde.