Barcelona are short of resources this season, with just 19 senior players available to Xavi Hernandez. Fortunately he has been able to turn to La Masia in order to plug the gaps, but along with Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez looks as if he might be capable of much more than that.
Lopez notched his second goal of the season against Shakhtar Donetsk, firing his shot in off the post for what would eventually be the winner. He also hit the post on two occasions, and had a header disallowed for offside, proving his accuracy in front of goal.
Beyond just that, Lopez was responsible for a dynamic performance in the middle of the pitch, often getting into dangerous positions and speeding up the play.
Expert analyst Albert Blaya Sensat wrote in Relevo that Lopez could well end up being the player Xavi Hernandez believed he had in Gavi last season.
“Fermin, who acted as the right-sided central midfielder in the 4-3-3 formation that Xavi proposed, was in charge of energising the diamond, something that the coach had reserved for Gavi last year, starting as a false left winger. And Fermin showed the Egarense that he was what Xavi was looking for in Gavi.”
This is not taking away from Gavi, who has been amongst Barcelona’s best players in a deeper role this season, but did not create the same danger in front of goal last season.
"The best thing that can be said about Fermín is that he thinks as fast as he plays. His mind works in tandem with his legs and that coordination, like two worlds that love each other, means the youth product can live up to how he thinks."@Blayasensat in @Relevo on Fermin Lopez pic.twitter.com/7gBSslHu96
— Football España (@footballespana_) October 26, 2023
Such was the quality of Lopez’s performance on Wednesday, it has opened the debate as to whether he should again be a starter on Saturday against Real Madrid. The 20-year-old has wasted no time in taking his opportunities, and already looks as if he will be sticking around for some time beyond the end of the injury crisis in Barcelona.
