"Once again, Barca relied upon the scoring prowess of Fermin Lopez, a player who always seems to come up trumps when required. Along with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, there shouldn't be an argument any longer as to Fermin taking residence in the third midfield slot. He offers something different in terms of the number of goals he can contribute from attacking midfield, and has consistently delivered in this regard."
"By utilising Fermin behind a main striker, it allows Pedri the free rein he enjoys, and can give Flick the option of having De Jong sat just in front of the back four, breaking upfield as and when needed. The real question that needs to be asked now, then, is why wouldn't Fermin start every game if fit and available?"
Barcelona needed a win in their penultimate Champions League group match to keep automatic qualification hopes alive. The teams had not met in the competition since 2019-20, with Barcelona holding a slight head-to-head advantage from one win and one draw. Slavia Prague had not won any of their six group matches, making Barcelona heavy favourites but requiring focus to avoid complacency. Fermin Lopez emerged as a key attacking midfield threat, complementing Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, supplying goals and tactical flexibility that raises the question of why he would not start when available.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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