Barcelona re-entered October with a agency goal in thoughts – to win six out of six video games earlier than the subsequent worldwide break, and their goal has been going to plan so far.
After taking aside Sevilla, Bayern Munich and Actual Madrid of their first three video games after returning, they took down Espanyol final evening in a recreation that was removed from clear.
The Catalan derby, in spite of everything, is at all times arduous fought and has been extra so lately with purple playing cards flying round for enjoyable. Final evening’s conflict was extra easy on that entrance.
Dani Olmo opened the scoring early from a shocking Lamine Yamal cross earlier than Raphinha teed up with Marc Casado’s supply to make it 2-0 earlier than the twenty fifth minute.
Olmo’s second aim of the evening got here simply previous the half-hour mark, placing the sport to mattress even earlier than the half-time whistle.
Barça Common brings you three takeaways from Barcelona 3-1 Espanyol.
Dani Olmo’s day trip
There have been combined opinions on Barcelona’s choice to signal Dani Olmo in the summertime after the operation for Nico Williams fell aside.
Some felt the teenager’s roots in La Masia would assist him flip right into a helpful signing for Barcelona within the remaining third whereas others noticed it to be a waste of the membership’s restricted monetary sources.
Nobody, nonetheless, noticed the form of influence he has introduced coming and it’s secure to say that Joan Laporta and Deco pulled off a masterstroke.
In 5 La Liga appearances to date, the brand new signing already has 5 objectives to his title, two of which got here final evening within the Catalan derby.
Olmo was distinctive for the workforce as soon as extra, and there’s a sure aura round him in possession that few others in world soccer can replicate. He was as soon as once more a residing and respiratory cheat code in Hansi Flick’s system, creating possibilities with each contact.
His reference to Lamine Yamal and Pedri, specifically, had been phenomenal and his runs between the strains created anarchy within the Espanyol defence.
Olmo solely wanted 12 minutes to open the scoring with a deft contact earlier than finishing his brace with a strike from exterior the field. When match, he’s undoubtedly one of many first names on Barcelona’s workforce sheet regardless of the heavy midfield competitors.
An unaesthetic second half
Some issues to consider for Flick regardless of the win. (Photograph by Alex Caparros/Getty Photographs)
Barcelona ran away with the sport within the first interval, however what adopted after the break didn’t please the supervisor by any requirements.
The Catalans got here out the higher workforce within the preliminary section of the second interval, and Flick understandably introduced modifications to rotate the midfield. Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez got here on for Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez respectively.
What adopted was a interval of double-edged play with each side creating possibilities, Espanyol the higher of the 2. The guests, in truth, had the ball at the back of the web thrice after the half-time break of which one was a authorized aim.
De Jong a shadow of the model he confirmed towards Actual Madrid and the double pivot with him and Pedri was structurally unsound, highlighting the significance of Casado within the workforce.
With Olmo off, furthermore, Barcelona’s attacking transitions didn’t arrive as usually with solely Yamal holding up and dictating the transition play.
Barcelona had been uncharacteristically poor by the second half with misplayed passes, incomplete buildup sequences and half-hearted urgent off the ball and even had their offside lure overwhelmed on a number of events.
As Flick acknowledged after the sport, there’s a lot to study from the 3-1 win and he expects a greater efficiency midweek.
A psychological benefit
12 video games into La Liga, Barcelona sit on 33 factors with 11 wins and only one defeat. They’ve scored 40 objectives to date, a staggering 19 greater than second-placed Actual Madrid.
With the win at Montjuic on Sunday night, thus, the Blaugrana have prolonged their lead over Los Blancos to 9 factors as the lads in white nonetheless linger at 24 factors after the defeat in El Clasico.
With Actual Madrid’s recreation at Mestalla being known as off after the DANA flooding, they do certainly have a recreation in hand. Nonetheless, their hectic calendar signifies that they won’t be able to play the spare recreation anytime quickly.
Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect are thus now pressured to get up and stare at a nine-point deficit day in and day trip in what’s an enormous psychological edge for Barcelona.
Actual Madrid might consolation themselves by saying they’ve a recreation in hand, however it is vitally completely different from three factors granted.
The league couldn’t have gotten off to a greater begin for Barcelona and they’ll look to maintain it going within the coming months. In spite of everything, the sooner they will kill it off, the higher it’s for them and they’re already clearly within the driver’s seat.