Fermin Lopez vs Dani Olmo: Barcelona have a fascinating battle for one starting position

Barcelona faces an intriguing dilemma in deciding between Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo for the No.10 starting position. Hansi Flick, the team's manager, is presented with a challenge as both players have proven themselves as accomplished attacking midfielders. Over the course of their first seven matches, the duo has shared the role, but their combined playing time has been relatively limited.

Barcelona has only accrued 718 minutes of football in La Liga and the Champions League, with the pair only sharing 88 of those minutes on the pitch at the same time.

Fermin Lopez has had the upper hand in starts, winning four matches to Olmo's three. Lopez has also accumulated 390 minutes of play, which is 62 more than his teammate. Olmo, on the other hand, made his debut against Feyenoord in Barcelona's Champions League opener. Lopez has contributed more in terms of goals and assists, tallying four goals and two assists, including two against Elche, Athletic Club, and Valencia, as well as two assists in a single game at Mestalla where he set up Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Olmo has yet to score a goal but has contributed three assists, with two coming against Valencia for Pedri and Yamal, and one more against Racing Santander when he assisted Raphinha in a 7-2 victory.

The competition between Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo is further complicated by the presence of other attacking options such as Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi on Barcelona's left flank. With a number of capable players vying for starting positions, Flick's decision becomes even more fluid and difficult. When Fermin has started, Olmo has typically been moved to a more central role when playing alongside him, while the opposite has occurred when Olmo was the starter.

Despite the limited playing time, both players have remained involved in the team's attacks when left out of the starting lineup. This could be a significant advantage for Barcelona in the long run, as they will need to rotate their players throughout the season. Fermin Lopez offers a goal threat from midfield, attacking the box and getting into scoring positions, while Olmo provides creativity and has shown his worth with three assists despite not finding the net himself.

As long as neither player is completely absent from the team, Barcelona should be able to maintain a strong attacking force throughout the season.