Before the first five minutes of the Barça preseason were over, Pablo Torre had already fallen to the ground three times. Recently promoted to Second RFEF, the EU Olot players know well the best formula to turn off talent, which is none other than to prevent it from turning on. Because the Cantabrian can tell from leagues that he was born for football and his debut with the Barça first team confirmed it.
The first friendly match of the season started a quarter of an hour late, it is already known that changing the holiday clock should not be easy even for a transatlantic such as Barça, but it did not take long for the young man from Santander to leave his mark on the Municipal de Olot, surrounded of beautiful hills painted green by countless trees. A beautiful and volcanic setting for Xavi's Barça 2022-23 to debut. Torre quickly attracted the cameras and signed his first application to become a Barça brand ambassador. He almost always played at the first touch, he hardly lost a ball, he showed he had a glove on his right foot on set pieces and the manual spout to which he later added a pinpoint assistance to Aubameyang in the first great Barça occasion of the afternoon was a real delight.
He could not do more than draw Barça but it was not the most important result in a duel in which Kessie, another of the new faces of the season, also made her debut, although in her case she went quite unnoticed by the spirited Olotino public, who took advantage Barça's first visit in 42 years to celebrate its centenary. The Ivorian lung, who acted as inside right - Torre did it on the left -, hardly lavished himself in offensive tasks although he proved to be gifted in recovery and aborted any rival play that dared to prowl him.
With the internationals in Barcelona, it was enough for Xavi to form two mixed elevens, one for each part, although it was in the rear where the absences were most noticeable. Of the eight defenders who played, four per part, only Dest has a first-team record. The only one who played the 90 minutes was Àlex Valle, a left-back to begin with and a left-wing winger to finish, always successful, asking Xavi for a second chance.
Ilias Akhomach and Abde were the wingers in the first half and both, each in his own style, one more associative and the second more incisive, left their mark on La Garrotxa. It was in those first forty-five minutes that a more recognizable and more lucid Barça was seen, with Pablo Torre as the indisputable reference. But paradoxes of life, the first goal had nothing to do with all that and was more like a British game from before. In two touches, Ter Stegen's long serve and Aubameyang's corner shot raised the score to 0-1 at the Municipal in Olotino. Olot had hardly been lavished in attack and the goal seemed the most logical consequence of the game. But locals were inspired when rest loomed on the horizon. Carles Mas's header ended up on the post. But then Mika Mármol committed a clear penalty on Manzano and Eloi did not fail from eleven meters, making the tie that ended the match a reality.
The game was more difficult in the second half but Barça gave Battle more work based on medium distance shots, with an especially incisive Aranda. But not even the appearance of Pedri, who failed in the final meters, or Ansu Fati, who was barely able to participate, encouraged Xavi's team. Neither is Pjanic's, who noticed the midfielder but did not clarify if he wants to earn a place in eleven or enjoy a golden retirement. The preseason has already started.
1 - EU Olot: Battle; Aimar, Ayala, Carles Mas, Bigas; Terma, Manzano, Eloi; Callís, Ferran Brugué and Urri. Also played: Ot Serrano, Gerard, Blázquez, Èric Vilanova, Gonzalo, Xumetra, Forés and Enric.
1 - FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dest, Arnau Houses, Micah Marble, Alex Valley; Kessie, Nico, Paul Tower; Ilias Akhomach, Aubameyang and Ez Abde. Also played: Iñaki Rock, White Rage, Married, Chadi, Bucket, Aranda, Pjanic, Pedri, Collado and Ansu Fati.
Goals: 0-1, min. 28: Aubameyang. 1-1, min. 45: Eloi Amagat, from the penalty spot.
Referee: Oltra Sáez (Catalan committee). He admonished the local Terma (min. 37) and the visitor Mika Mármol (min. 45).
Incidents: Pre-season friendly match, played at the Estadi Municipal de Olot before some 3,300 fans.
