Barcelona’s last match against Shakhtar Donetsk left more doubts than certainties ahead of El Clásico on Saturday 28 October, 4:15pm at Luis Companez Stadium. The team’s interruption in the second half almost cost Xavi Hernandez the victory, but despite this, he was able to celebrate the full points in the group that left him with one foot in the round of 16 after two years of absence from the classification.
The positive note of the match, regardless of the result, was the confirmation of Fermin Lopez as a player to consider in the Catalan coach’s short-term plans. The El Campello player was captain of his team when he was only 20 years old, and he caused Ferran Torres’ first goal and scored the second goal after a right-footed shot that crept into the opponent’s penalty area. The goal reminded him of the goal he scored in the pre-season against Real Madrid and which made him known in professional football.
Specifically, the Whites could be Huelva’s next challenger. His wonderful performance against the Ukrainians and the confirmation that Pedri has not fully recovered represents a golden opportunity for Xavi to have confidence in the team and surprise everyone with his ownership in El Clásico.
Having him in a top eleven would be the reward of the season for Fermin. After spending an impressive pre-season with the team, the midfielder had the opportunity to make his debut in an official match for Barcelona against Villarreal, at La Ceramica, replacing Ilkay Gundogan in the final minutes. Since then, the Andalusian has played 405 minutes under Xavi, scoring twice. Particularly important was his first goal with the first team, at Son Moix, which they drew against Mallorca
Fermin returned to Barcelona this summer after spending a season on loan with Linares Deportivo in La Liga. The year was one of growth for the player, who impressed Xavi enough to take him on tour of the United States, where he managed to stand out with his aforementioned goal against Real Madrid.
The Blaugrana Sports Management is aware of the promising future that awaits him and has already guaranteed his continuity at the club, renewing him until 2027 with a release clause of 400 million euros . After pursuing the signing of an internal player with the ability to turn around and see the game live, as was the case with Bernardo Silva, the coach would have found the profile he was looking for in the team. The question will be, once Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are fully fit, who will occupy the position on the pitch where Barcelona have so many options.
