Barcelona fans were delighted when they found out they had pipped Real Madrid to another talented young Spanish midfielder in Pablo Torre. Following their first taste of him on the pitch, Culers will be purring even more.
The 18-year-old got his first run out for Barcelona against Olot, as the Blaugrana opened their preseason campaign with a 1-1 draw. Fellow new signing Franck Kessie also played his first minutes, leaving a good impression.
Yet it was Torre, wearing Pedri’s old number 16, who made the largest impact. Cool on the ball and exhibiting an excellent weight of pass, he looked at home during his 45 minutes on the pitch. The highlight was an excellent chance that he fashioned for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang almost single-handedly.
Speaking after the match to TV3, Mundo Deportivo carried Torre’s words, as he commented on the draw.
“We wanted to win, but we lacked rhythm, which is logical because we have still only had a few training sessions.”
“We have plenty of the preseason to improve.”
Manager Xavi Hernandez will have a job on his hands to ensure the hype does not go into overdrive this preseason. At the very least, with Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Kessie ahead of him, Torre will not be exposed to the high pressure before he is ready once the season gets going.