Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Man of the match showing With only three days to go until El Clasico, Fermin Lopez really couldn?t have timed his audition for a starting spot any better.
Much of the talk this season has been about Lamine Yamal, and with good reason, but I?d contend that Fermin has made more of an impact in the games in which he?s played.
It?s clear how highly the club rate him too, given they extended his contract to 2027 and placed a ?400m release clause within it to ensure he?ll stay with the club for the next few years at least.
Signed by the player on Tuesday, his showing against Shakhtar on Wednesday evening will almost certainly have had the board nodding in approval; a job well done on all sides evidently. Talent like Fermin doesn?t come along all that often either.

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

A player that is fearless in possession and yet his maturity on the ball is clear for all to see. Thus far he?s rarely wasted a pass, with WhoScored noting a completion rate of over 86 percent in the Champions League.
Shorn of Pedri?s technical skills and Frenkie de Jong?s ability to burst forward, Barcelona have needed something different for long periods this season and Fermin has plugged that necessary gap with evident ease.
On Wednesday he could quite easily have had a hat-trick, and he would?ve deserved it too.
Consistently taking up intelligent positions, he was never frightened of having a go from...