The young winger rounded into form at the end of last season, and has shown signs that he could revive his Barca career as gaps emerge in the squad
Ansu Fati scored a classy goal and looked dangerous in 45 promising minutes, leading Barcelona to a 1-0 win over AC Milan to close out their pre-season tour of the United States. The winger's bending strike broke open an otherwise simmering contest, and suggested that the player, once assumed to be dead weight at Camp Nou, could have a role to play for this team yet.
The two sides exchanged chances in the early goings, with Jules Kounde cracking a shot off the post and Fikayo Tomori putting a free header over the bar. Rafael Leao came closest for Milan in the final minutes of the first half, evading three defenders before seeing his close-range shot denied by Inaki Pena.
Fati's introduction at half-time changed things. He broke the deadlock shortly after the break, cutting onto his right foot and releasing a lovely curled effort into the top corner, a shot Mike Maignan could only watch as it landed in the net. The winger could have made it two, too, but saw a point-blank effort turned away by a last-ditch slide tackle after a dangerous run from Alejandro Balde.
Although Barca manager Xavi would undoubtedly like to have seen his side put Milan away — they put a few more chances wide in the closing minutes — this was yet another promising runout for a team looking to defend its La Liga crown. And, if Fati continues to glimmer, they could have Ousmane Dembele's replacement ready to go without having to spend a penny.
GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Allegiant Stadium…
Ansu shines as Dembele watches on
Despite the controversy surrounding a potential summer exit, Fati enjoyed a rather successful run towards the end of last season. He finished the campaign with seven league goals, and chipped in with three assists while serving as a regular as an injury-limited Barcelona stumbled through their last few games.
He hasn't quite picked up on that form this pre-season, often starved of opportunities as Xavi continues to rotate his options. But he was given a whole half to work with here, and showed why he should be kept around. His goal was the kind of Messi-esque strike that had made Barca fans fall in love with him in the first place, a drop of the shoulder and inch-perfect finish past a frozen goalkeeper.
It was noticeable that he headed over to the bench to hug Dembele, who was watching on having been left out of the squad as he closes in on a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. Fati may play on the opposite wing to Dembele on most occasions, but the 20-year-old is versatile and could yet step into the France international's shoes.
Fati could have made it two, but was denied by a last-ditch tackle. Still, his impact was made. This could quite easily be another false dawn in a year marked by them. But there was enough zip, quality and swagger about his showing to suggest that there might be something more long-term at play.
AdvertisementRaphinha stakes his claim to take Dembele's role too
Despite Fati's performance, Raphinha will probably think that Dembele's soon-to-be-vacant spot on the right-hand side is his to lose. The Brazilian certainly did enough to suggest he can fill in towards the end of last season, developing a solid understanding with Robert Lewandowski as Barca pushed towards the title.
And he did all the right things here, too. He played high and wide, cut in onto his dangerous left foot, and linked up effectively with a much-changed Barca side. It was, ironically a rather Dembele-esque performance.
There were some poorer moments, as Raphinha sometimes rushed things or misplaced a pass. He isn't always the most efficient player — something that has drawn the ire of his team-mates in the past. Still, if Raphinha is the fall-back option, it's hard for Barcelona to complain.
Alejandro Balde sprints… a lot
Alejandro Balde is very quick. That much is known by now. And he spent much of his 45 minutes on the pitch trying to prove it. The left-back repeatedly scampered up the left side of the pitch, torching multiple Milan defenders at a time. They were the kind of surges that Barcelona fans have seen him make for a while now.
But when he got into the final third, things were mixed. He certainly has a good understanding with Fati — it was him who fed his international team-mate for Barca's goal — but his final delivery is still a bit erratic. Balde tends to ping the ball into space, rather than seek out a target. He puts his crosses into the right areas, without considering who might actually be there to meet them.
Xavi likely won't care. This is a 19-year-old more than capable of holding down a spot for the Spanish champions; a player who effectively kicked club legend Jordi Alba out of the side by last January. That he was quite comfortably one of the most dangerous players on the pitch here is even more encouraging. And once that final ball develops — if he figures it out — Balde could be a real attacking weapon
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Pulisic continues to impress
Christian Pulisic needed to get out of Chelsea. Opportunities had dried up for the United States forward, who never really seemed to settle at Stamford Bridge. And his new start in Milan has already shown some promise. He was influential in the Italian giants' pre-season clash with Real Madrid two weeks ago, and enjoyed some good moments against another Spanish side here.
His pace and trickery caused problems on the right, and he served as a constant outlet on the counter. But there were also some good defensive moments to be found. He dropped back to help veteran right-back Alessandro Florenzi against a swarming Barca attack, and put in a few crucial tackles inside his own 18-yard box to ensure parity at the break.
Pulisic's attacking impact wavered in the second half as Milan were pushed back into their own half, but this was a showing of promise from a player who deserves a chance to see his career reborn.