VIDEO: Pablo Torre’s miracle discovered and Busquets’ replacement solved? Barcelona start preparation with a draw

In the shadow of the ongoing transfer negotiations, Barcelona faced Oloto in the first match of the pre-season. The starting line-up on Wednesday against the team from the fifth highest Spanish competition was, however, very different from what we will see during the upcoming season. Let’s take a look back at how some of the Catalan big club’s players fared.

The composition of the midfield has shown that it can work. Xavi made an unexpected bet on Kessie, Nico and Torre. The new acquisition from AC Milan showed a lot of positives during the opening 45 minutes. Admittedly, he was a bit more withdrawn on the pitch than the offensively minded Torre. He practically often formed a duo with the defensive midfielder that Nico has become.

As for Kessie, he did exactly what Xavi asks of Frenkie de Jong. Just because he’s a slightly inferior player doesn’t mean he could fill that role and be more than valid. He knew where to move on the pitch. His passing was simple, he offered himself and had a desire to get into dangerous positions.

Nico showed that if he wants to succeed in Barcelona’s first team, he needs to take a step forward and get minutes at a position where Sergio Busquets reigns supreme. He did very well when playing under pressure and playing wide. He moved well between the lines. He was literally a relay pin feeder between the left and right and vice versa.

Pablo Torre must have impressed many a spectator in the opening minutes. He clearly impressed with the ball at his feet, creativity and workrate. We’ve never seen a player who raises so many expectations, and he’s only headed to the reserve team. However, that probably won’t be true for many. His confidence has attracted a lot of attention. Plus, he excelled at combining with his teammates and covering the ball with his body.

Unassuming and unknown to the vast majority of us, 18-year-old Alex Valle was surprisingly given preference over the more familiar Baldo on the left side of defence. He was the only Barcelona player to play the full 90 minutes. The first half as a left-back, the second as a winger. He was relentless on the edge of the area and definitely asked for another chance. Barcelona went into the second half with nine changes.

Alex Collado clearly stood out in the second half. His fighting spirit was evident on the left wing. He looked confident with the ball, created play and wanted to show that he deserved his place in the team. The question is whether there will be any left for him.

With the captain’s armband on, the already healed Ansu Fati flew into the second 45 minutes. Surprisingly, he looked like a stud striker, but it was obvious that he needs to gain confidence. He couldn’t get through properly, often looked almost slow, which is why he was losing balls. Sterile. That’s exactly the word that describes him. He needs time to get back into shape.

Iñaki Peña replaced Marc-André ter Stegen between the three posts in the second half. The 25-year-old goalkeeper looked very confident and proved that he is ready to be the number two in place of Neto. The whole team can thank him for the draw as he saved at least two chances.

Source: FC Barcelona