Lamine Yamal earns his starting place... Gundogan, the bench

We can't wait any longer to see Lamine Yamal in the starting line-up. The team saved the day against Celta with a comeback that we are still wondering how it was achieved. Against Mallorca, the defensive errors, the disorder in midfield and the inaccuracies up front weighed the team down too much. 

When Lamine Yamal came on the pitch it was not that all the problems were solved and the team started to play like a metronome, but the feeling that something could happen in Mallorca was growing. The Mallorca players became desperate and began to be imprecise in their attempts to stop the dribbling and dribbling of the young Blaugrana starlet. 

Perhaps we need to stop thinking of Lamine Yamal as the best way forward and start relying on him as a starting resource. Of course we have to protect the player and not overexpose him, but it is starting to be a clamour that the team plays much better with him on the pitch and that he is earning his place in the starting line-up. It is true that Raphinha is putting a lot of desire and Ferran is scoring goals but what makes the opposition nervous is to see how Lamine's legs can break them if they leave him two metres to play. I'm sure Xavi will be able to find the right fit for everyone.

Gundogan needs to improve 

If the introduction of Fermín and Lamine Yamal changed the face of the team, it was Ilkay Gundogan who was not at his best in Mallorca. The former City player was not successful when it came to creating fluency in the game, nor did he bring danger to the rival area. Very well marked and sealed in midfield he was unable to break the lines either by running or passing. 

He has shown that he can be a decisive player and above all his winning mentality but there are days when quality has to be complemented with effort and it seems that this was not his best day. He still has a season ahead of him but perhaps we will have to see in which games the best version of the player can appear. Xavi needs all the players plugged in and working but perhaps he didn't get it right with the ones he put on the Son Moix pitch.