Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is getting into the highlight as Hansi Flick’s Barcelona takes on the daunting activity of toppling a formidable Real Madrid aspect for the Spanish title this season.
Flick, who succeeded membership icon Xavi Hernandez, not too long ago welcomed new signing Dani Olmo.
Meanwhile, final season’s La Liga champions, Madrid, have bolstered their squad with French celebrity Kylian Mbappe, including to an already spectacular lineup that includes Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
With such star energy at their disposal, Barcelona is ready to start the season as clear underdogs to Los Blancos.
The Catalan giants gained nothing final season and surrendered their Spanish crown in a deeply disappointing marketing campaign. However, 17-year-old Yamal’s emergence reveals there may be mild on the finish of the tunnel.
Along with Olympic gold medal-winning center-back Pau Cubarsi, financially hampered Barcelona will depend on their younger stars to try to compete with the would possibly of Carlo Ancelotti’s Champions League winners.
Many imagine Barcelona want a left winger and a deep-lying midfielder to place themselves able to struggle for silverware, however the membership’s financial struggles make these desires unlikely after Olmo’s arrival.
Flick’s aspect beat Madrid in preseason throughout a tour of the United States however was introduced crashing all the way down to earth on Monday by Monaco, who loved a 3-0 win within the conventional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium of their last pleasant.
“We didn’t play with our normal speed or combinations, and we lost a lot of balls,” stated Flick after the chastening defeat. “But in the end, it is preseason. I know the team can play much better than today. We have five more days now and will prepare them well for the next match against Valencia (Barça’s La Liga opener).”
The German coach is hoping to rework the membership’s urgent recreation, however with pivotal striker Robert Lewandowski quickly turning 36, there are doubts over whether or not he can obtain it.
Flick is additional set again by accidents to midfielders Pedri, Gavi, and Frenkie de Jong, in addition to center-back Ronald Araujo, which suggests he begins the season with depleted ranks.
Return residence
Barcelona is planning to return to their renovated Camp Nou stadium halfway via the season if constructing works keep on observe, which might be a great addition for demoralized followers.
Although a membership of Barcelona’s dimension is all the time aiming to compete for silverware, expectations appear decrease than traditional in Catalonia. Gone are the times when stellar names like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar made Barcelona essentially the most fearsome attacking line in world soccer.
Instead, it was teen Yamal who followers cheered for towards Monaco, with Barcelona supporters’ greatest roar of the night time reserved for the second the winger jogged down the touchline to heat up.
Yamal, who made his Barça debut at 15, was an important determine in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph this season and has taken to elite soccer like a duck to water. No problem has appeared too daunting to this point for Barcelona academy starlet Yamal, resulting in inevitable comparisons with Messi.
With Sergi Roberto departing after 14 years within the first-team squad, Marc-André ter Stegen takes the armband as Barcelona captain.
“I hope the fans are with us all year because many good things are ahead of us,” stated the goalkeeper after the Monaco defeat. “Let’s hope that was an accident… it’s a good warning, and let’s hope that in a few days we’ll be better.”
If Barcelona is to compete with Madrid this season, enchancment is crucial.
Source: www.dailysabah.com