Flick finds a new 'Philipp Lahm' at Barcelona: a new gem from La Masia!
Who is he?
Xavi Espart has continued to steal the spotlight at Barcelona, after putting in a strong display in the opening match of the Spanish league against Elche, proving his ability to fill more than one position effectively, the quality that led Hansi Flick to compare him earlier to the German legend Philipp Lahm.
Flick had praised Espart last March, saying he enjoyed watching him play because of his great confidence on the ball. The Barca boss noted that the youngster reminded him of Lahm, a player comfortable in more than one role, whether in midfield or at full-back.
Against Elche, Espart got the chance to start at left-back. It isn't one of his usual positions, yet he handled the task with real composure, teeing up Fermin Lopez and impressing at both ends of the pitch.
The young player completed 85% of his passes and won seven ground duels out of 11. He also came out on top in three aerial battles, pulled off a successful dribble, made two tackles, two interceptions, five clearances and six ball recoveries. He clearly doesn't need his primary position to make an impact.
Versatility like this hands Flick a valuable tactical solution. The German coach had already used him during pre-season at right-back and in midfield, before deploying him on the left against Elche after Alejandro Balde was ruled out of his plans at the last moment.
All of this traces back to Espart's years in Barcelona's academy, where he lined up as a right-back and a midfielder. Those roles gave him a broad tactical understanding and the ability to read spaces and make the right decisions with and without the ball.
These qualities in particular seem to have earned him a special standing in Flick's eyes. The coach sees a player capable of offering solutions from more than one position, not just a traditional full-back, and he has said before that Espart "knows what he has to do and he is great with the ball".
Pre-season proved just as telling. The 19-year-old chose to keep working and preparing for the new campaign after his triumph with Spain at the European Under-19 Championship, and the reward came with a starting spot at the beginning of Barcelona's league season.
Espart has become one of the most prominent rising talents at Barcelona, amid a growing conviction within the club that his value does not lie in a specific position, but rather in his ability to understand the demands of the game and provide added value wherever the coach places him.
Sports analyst Albert Blaya, writing in the newspaper "Sport", perhaps summed it up best: "Espart is not a full-back nor a midfielder, he is a footballer." It is a quality in which Flick appears to have found a fresh tactical weapon within his line-up.
