Ahead of kickoff, manager Hansi Flick announced the starting lineup for the game, with some surprises. The biggest one, perhaps, was that Frenkie de Jong was left out of the team by the Barcelona manager, despite the Dutchman's top performances in recent weeks. Instead, he has opted for the midfield trident of Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez. "Frenkie de Jong is not at 100%, and that's why he's on the bench and isn't playing today," confirmed the Barcelona manager.
The youngster has reportedly distanced himself from social media, public appearances, and displays of his personal life, which is a clear attempt to reduce distractions and keep his full attention on football. Necessary changes The change has not happened by accident. The winger feels he has grown much more mature over the past months, a process he credits to the close guidance of Barcelona and his agent, Jorge Mendes.
The ESPN Player of the Month award, now in its fourth edition, recognizes the most outstanding players from the top five European leagues. The format, which has already featured editions in October, November, and December, now honors the stars of January, kicking off the 2026 calendar year. In Ligue 1, Brazil international Endrick has only played two games with Lyon, but that was enough for him to take first place.
"There are several reasons. "First, in the construction phase we are in, we have a player for the same position with similar characteristics named Lamine Yamal. It's obvious," he explained.
We saw a work of art from Lamine. That goal alone makes it worth going to the stadium. It's one of those goals that defines a player and a stadium. He has a style of play that lends itself to goals of this beauty, like his curling shots from outside the box.
Hansi Flick deployed an extensively rotated lineup against Real Oviedo, and understandably so given the hectic schedule and how the opposition on the night were far from in-form. The extent of changes, however, saw the Catalans produce their worst first-half performance since the Chelsea game late in 2025 as they simply struggled for harmony on the field. It was in defence that Flick made the biggest changes.
Ansu's journey makes his perspective particularly meaningful. A product of La Masia, he represented Barcelona's first team between 2019 and 2025 and was once viewed as one of the club's most exciting prospects. His early years were filled with promise, goals, and responsibility well beyond his age. In total, he scored 29 goals for the Blaugrana, quickly establishing himself as a symbol of the club's future.
The atmosphere was light-hearted, but one moment in particular has since taken on greater significance. During the show, a member of the audience was handed the microphone and posed a provocative question to the Espanyol winger, asking him who he would rather "step on" between Joan Garcia and Lamine Yamal. After pausing briefly, Milla delivered his response, which was met with laughter and applause inside the studio. "I think Lamine," he said.
