This season, the Spanish international has been in a prolonged slump, and his performance in the away match against Sevilla hit a new low since he joined the club. However, as a key attacking player in the team, he should have taken on more crucial responsibilities in the final third – as an attacking midfielder, he needs to link the midfield and attack, and exert a decisive influence in the final phase of attacks.
Head coach Hansi Flick has always maintained trust in Olmo, valuing him as one of the players with the strongest tactical awareness in the squad, especially his ability to operate in the space behind the frontline. Endowed with exquisite shooting skills, goalscoring ability, along with awareness for assists and team play, Olmo should have become a vital fulcrum in Barça’s attacking system.
Yet none of these traits have been on display in the new season. In the match at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (Sevilla’s home ground), Olmo delivered arguably his darkest performance since joining Barça: he neither featured in any threatening attacking combinations nor made individual attempts to turn the tide of the game, and his physical condition seemed completely out of sync with the rhythm of the match.
Flick has long been aware of Olmo’s loss of form – the rotating starts of Fermín López and Raphinha at the beginning of the season are clear evidence of this. When Olmo was given a starting spot in the match against Getafe, he admitted after the game that “he still needs time to regain his match rhythm”, which further confirmed his struggles.
Although he has accumulated 978 minutes of playing time (13 appearances, 7 starts), his contributions have only amounted to 1 goal and 2 assists – a clearly unsatisfactory return for a player burdened with high expectations. If this form continues, Barça’s attacking system will face a severe test, and the team is in urgent need of his return to top form as soon as possible.
Barça’s concern about Olmo is growing by the day: Olmo was supposed to establish connections and provide creativity in Barça’s midfield, but now, he is fading out of the game.
