The Catalan giants lost their Champions League opening match against Monaco, despite coming into the new season riding a five-game winning streak. Three days later, they suffered the long-term injury of first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, but they closed the month with four goals in a convincing loss to Osasuna.
Even with the setbacks, there were many positive moments for a team that bounced back to lead La Liga going into the international break in October.
Raphinha hasn’t always had an easy time getting along with Barcelona’s picky supporters. The Brazilian forward’s selection as one of the team’s five captains at the beginning of the season caused some uncertainty among fans who weren’t overly thrilled with his six league goals the previous season. This season, Raphinha has already tallied five goals in La Liga, including a brace in September’s thrilling 5-1 victory over Villarreal.
The former Leeds United winger has thrived in a more center role, accepting the physical demands placed on him by Flick and the direct approach that brought out the best in him in Yorkshire while Marcelo Bielsa was the manager of the team. According to The Athletic, Raphinha led La Liga in intense runs and darts behind the rival defense by the end of September. The Catalan audience has been decisively won over by such persistence.
Robert Lewandowski has had his own comeback to form this autumn by running less, in sharp contrast to Raphinha.
Unburdened by the demanding responsibilities of leading Barcelona’s press, the prolific Pole recorded nearly half as many sprints as Raphinha over the same time period. This is because Flick has instructed the team’s wide players to surge forward first. The 36-year-old need simply cover the defensive midfielder of the opposition, allowing him to concentrate on entering the box and scoring goals—what he does best of all.
Lamine Yamal was still living in the club’s renowned La Masia academy alongside youngsters from the youth squad as late as this summer. “The Barcelona dressing room is only two minutes away from my bedroom,” Yamal shrugged in a July interview with GQ. “I don’t need too much time to get there.”
Although the 17-year-old has already moved out of the dorms, his high standards have not decreased due to the commute. In complete contrast.
Yamal rarely does anything throughout a game that does not cause the audience to gasp. There seems to be no end to the teen’s skill, whether it’s a skillful nutmeg, ripsnorting shot, or a pass with the outside of his boot against Villarreal that was so absurd the Spanish journal AS dubbed it “the assist of the century”. It makes sense why Flick calls his teenage protégé “unbelievable” whenever he gets the chance.
The only thing that might prevent Yamal from winning every popularity contest in the future is injury—a destiny that has befallen a great number of his colleagues and resulted in his having to return from the October international break early.
