Barcelona continued their exceptional start to 2025 with a 5-1 defeat to Real Betis on Wednesday, and they did so without Robert Lewandowski, who was rested for the match. Instead, Dani Olmo started as a false nine, and it was a position he thrived in as he provided two assists on the night.
Hansi Flick was very satisfied with the tactical change, he told the media after the match (via Sport).
“Dani knows how to play perfectly as a '9', as he did in the Spanish national team. I talked to him. Lewandowski was not an option for today. The plan went well. You could also see that we had control in midfield, which was very nice to see.”
According to MD, it is a plan that Flick plans to use in the future when Lewandowski needs rest or is unavailable. Given the success against Betis, it is clear that he can be relied upon for the rest of the season.
It's clear that the 36-year-old Lewandowski can't be relied on for every game in a season, so it's very good for Barcelona to have a Plan B, and it's clearly a plan that has the potential to be very to be successful.
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