Pablo Gavi was a surprising inclusion in Hansi Flick’s starting lineup for the match against Atletico Madrid. The coach opted to rest Dani Olmo due to his recent poor performances and selected Gavi over other potential choices like Frenkie de Jong or Pablo Torre, even though Gavi is still not fully recovered from a significant knee injury he suffered over a year ago. Despite this, Gavi showed great determination to perform well.
As always, Gavi gave his best, supporting his teammates like Pedri González and taking on a leadership role on the field, motivating others to push for a win. However, the match ended in frustration after a defeat that Gavi felt was unfair, given the clear opportunities the team had.
One moment captured on camera showed Gavi urging Robert Lewandowski to engage more in defense, as the Polish striker had underperformed and missed a clear chance that could have altered the result. This sparked tension between Gavi and Lewandowski, with the latter not taking kindly to the way he was addressed. Their relationship has since deteriorated, with some describing Lewandowski’s complex personality as toxic.
This issue seems to be affecting the broader Barcelona squad. Lewandowski is reportedly facing other conflicts in the dressing room, including frustrations with players like Iñaki Peña, who was upset after being dropped to the bench in favor of Wojciech Szczęsny. Additionally, tensions with Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres have surfaced, with Lewandowski allegedly requesting that Flick stop giving them playing time.
