Should Pablo Torre start against Athletic Club in the Super Cup?

FC Barcelona is on the verge of playing the first title of the 2024-25 season: the Spanish Super Cup. However, they will face a tough challenge when they take on Athletic Club on January 8th. A match in which Hansi Flick's squad will have to make tactical adjustments if they intend to maintain their usual playing scheme, the 4-2-3-1 formation.

With the likely absence of Dani Olmo due to issues with his registration, the German coach will have to delve into Barcelona's squad depth to find a solution to that vacancy in the 'number 10' area. One option could be to move Pedri González forward as an attacking midfielder and place Marc Casado at the base of the game alongside another player like Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, or even Eric García.

Another option would be to keep Pedri González in the double pivot with Marc Casado and choose between Fermín López or Gavi to occupy the attacking midfielder role. Even Pablo Torre cannot be ruled out, as he has strongly put forward his candidacy.

Pablo Torre's arguments to start against Athletic Club in the Spanish Super Cup

Indeed, the player from Soto de la Marina has just delivered a stellar performance against UD Barbastro, a theoretically stronger opponent than Athletic Club. However, it is a fact that in this match, Pablo Torre showed flashes of his quality by contributing with two assists and a goal in Barcelona's 4-0 victory over the Barbastro team.

Despite starting the game as a right winger, in practice, due to the absences of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, he was constantly seen drifting towards the center and creating danger with the caliber of a top-level 'playmaker'. The Barcelona number '14' demonstrated an exceptional touch on his right foot, a true 'wizard' in assisting his teammates with the finesse of a real 'star'.

Now, beyond his outstanding performance against UD Barbastro, Pablo Torre has shown that every time he steps onto the field, he can have a significant impact in the matches he participates in. In just 348 minutes spread across 10 matches, he has scored four goals and provided three assists, proving that despite being somewhat sidelined, when given the opportunity, he delivers.

Should he be given the chance to start or be a game-changer against the Basque team? This remains to be seen, but at least it's clear that Hansi Flick should consider him as a valid option to get minutes on the field.