It would be fair to say that the transfer of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig back in the summer to FC Barcelona was not met with the kind of fanfare that it should have. It was not the 26-year-old’s fault but there were concerns among the fanbase.
This was mainly due to two reasons. Nico Williams was the hot property of the summer after his incredible display for Spain back in the Euros and the Blaugrana faithful were keen to see if the Athletic Bilbao winger would come to Barcelona.
There were also question marks over the signing of Olmo as the club actually had Pedri, Fermin Lopez, and Pablo Torre who could play as the number 10. However, it is safe to say that the 26-year-old has dispelled such fears in some style.
Due to registration issues and an injury setback, Olmo hasn’t played as much as he would have liked to so far this season. However, this hasn’t stopped the Spanish midfield star from creating an impact whenever he has managed to play.
Against Espanyol in the Catalan derby last night, in a 3-1 win for Barcelona, making his first start after the injury, Dani Olmo netted a brace in the first half to help the team secure a victory against their bitter city rivals. In all fairness, the midfield star should have had a hattrick but squandered a few chances initially.
Speaking to the media after the game, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Olmo expressed his happiness about returning from injury. He said:
“I feel good, I wanted to come back, help the team, keep enjoying myself, playing and winning. It’s not bad (scoring five goals), I’m happy with how it turned out. I was confident I could have these numbers when I came here, because I knew the club and the players.”
Last night’s game was Olmo’s first start since his injury vs Girona which has kept him out for a significant period of time. The Spaniard helped Barcelona reach 40 goals for the season and he also spoke about the team’s attacking style of play. He continued:
“We are a team that has a lot of goals, both the scorers and the second line, we play directly and we create many chances.”
Now that he is fit and back in the mix, one can expect Olmo to start occupying a more prominent role under Hansi Flick in the coming weeks. The German coach will undoubtedly be cautious considering his injury history but should give him a fair few chances.
In the small sample size on display so far, Olmo makes Barcelona look so much better whenever he is on the pitch. He adds an extra level of creativity with his magic on and off the ball and let’s hope he manages to stay fit going forward.
