Hansi Flick took a number of youngsters from the La Masia on the US pre-season tour with many first-team Barcelona players still on vacation following their international commitments. The German coach has also given a chance to most of these players, barring Diogo Kochen and Alexis Olmedo.
One player who has performed exceptionally well in both matches but rather gone under the radar is young center-back Sergi Dominguez. The 19-year-old started against Man City and came off the bench against Real Madrid, looking comfortable in both games.
Dominguez had the daunting task of coming up against Erling Haaland in the first game but he marshalled the Norwegian admirably. He also looked extremely comfortable defending Vinicus Jr. in the Clasico.
As per SPORT, Dominguez was one of those who was aware before the trip that he wasn’t being considered in the first-team picture yet. This pre-season tour was his audition to nail down the starting center-back berth for Barca Athletic.
With no pressure to convince Hansi Flick, the young Spaniard has played with a sense of freedom in these games. He has looked assured on the ball and it was his through ball to Casado that helped set Pau Victor up for the first goal against Manchester City.
Dominguez has one more potential opportunity if Flick decides to use him against AC Milan in Baltimore. Regardless of what happens though, the 19-year-old will go back to the reserve team with a lot more confidence in his game.
The Spaniard has gained experience on this tour of the US. Barcelona are currently blessed with a number of top-quality center-backs and Dominguez could be one for the future. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Dominguez. Only time will tell if he can make it big in a Barcelona shirt in the future.
