Captain Gavi stakes his claim as Barcelona cruise

Truthfully, that game was a bit of a mess. A proper preseason friendly you might say with goals falling from the sky.

If there are two takeaways for me, it’s first that Hansi Flick revealed his likely starting eleven in the first half. Second, Gavi may come off the bench once the season begins, but you can expect him to fight hard to put pressure on Frenkie de Jong for a place in a midfield.

Barcelona will be cheering him on too. They need someone on the field who personifies what it means to be a leader.

Seeing Gavi wear the captain’s armband just felt right, and with Marc-André ter Stegen sidelined, there is an opening for other Barca players to step up and fill the leadership void.

Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

It seems self-evident that Gavi is captain material. The question will be whether he can fight his way into the lineup.

Against FC Seoul, he put in a very bright second half cameo in just 30 minutes of action.

He was a ball winner, as always. Alongside Marc Casadó, he managed the game well, and was able to push forward. As an aside, I wonder if part of Gavi’s challenge will be playing alongside Pedri. Having a player like Casadó as a partner, who is happy to hold down the fort, benefits Gavi a lot, and allows him to show his qualities in the final third.

Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

In this game, we saw a Gavi who was aggressive and assertive, and as a result, he was able to tally a goal and an assist in what was a very efficient and effective outing.

The challenge in front of him this season is still very big.

I personally have my doubts that Hansi Flick’s system is a great fit for Gavi. I don’t see him as someone who will adapt to the deeper role as quickly, for example, as Pedri did.

But one thing we’ve all come to learn about Gavi is that he is a fighter, and that he lives to prove people wrong.

If I’m Frenkie de Jong, I’d be careful. If you’re not putting in consistent high level, high energy performances, you’ll have Gavi, and the two Marcs as well, breathing down your neck.

That’s good news for Barcelona.

Success will depend on a sense of pressure on all the players that motivates them to give their all in the interest of team excellence. Game in and out. No days off.

Having a player like Gavi around will hold the others accountable.

At the end of the day, bet against him at your own will. That’ll only motivate Gavi to get back to his best even quicker.

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