Barcelona and Hansi Flick’s decision to splash the cash on Dani Olmo when the attacking midfield department appeared quite full was met with a lot of criticism.
After all, Barcelona had seemingly ignored positions in dire need of change and opted to strengthen an already well-stacked department.
Four games into the new season and the new signing is already reaping rewards in some style.
Having missed Barcelona’s first two games through registration issues, Olmo scored on his debut to give the Blaugrana all three points against Rayo Vallecano away from home.
This past weekend, he backed that up with a goal on his full debut against Real Valladolid and a performance that should have been rewarded with far more than the sole goal.
Chasing greatness
Not many players in the past have managed to score in their first two games for Barcelona. The most recent player who achieved the feat was Jose Arnaiz who did so in the 2017 Copa del Rey.
Among the more established names to have achieved the rare start to life in Catalonia are Ludovic Giuly, Cesc Fabregas and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – all of whom scored in their first two La Liga games for Barcelona.
While Giuly scored twice in his first two games back in the 2004-05 season, Fabregas repeated the feat in 2011-12 and went on to score in his first four games.
The record, however, lies with Ibrahimovic who scored in his first five appearances for Barcelona, a feat that has never been repeated at the club. Olmo, with his fine start, will have an eye on the record.
While the midfielder is currently on duty with the Spanish national team, he will return to Catalonia later this month and is likely to start the game against Girona. A third goal on the night will take him a step closer to the special record.
