Ansu Fati is the antidote to Koeman’s nihilism – MARCA.com

Ansu Fati hadn't played at the Camp Nou for ten months, yet managed to bring everyone together much in the same way he did on his debut. Only then, when he made his first ever appearance, his only purpose was to learn while, on Sunday against Levante, he had to act as a psychologist, as a marriage counsellor and as an influencer.

That's because Ansu Fati lifted the spirits of everyone involved with the club, rubbishing Ronald Koeman's defeatist mantra of "this is all that there is" and all the sputtering of president Joan Laporta, who tries to escape the stage without a scratch. Perhaps the goal was just a sidenote, because what the kid brought to the people was hope and that, in football, is a powerful force. In the end, what Ansu did was an act of pride and rebellion. The unprecedented thing is that he was against those who rule at Barcelona.

Carlo Ancelotti was wrong, and in admitting it, he was right. He took the blame for starting Fede Valverde at right back, but why did he do it? With that decision he lost two options: an actual right back and a progressive midfielder which could have been Valverde's role, against an excellent Villarreal. There is no doubt that Real Madrid's attacking potential is abundant, even if it ran dry on Saturday.

The fact that Thibaut Courtois seems to be Real Madrid's best player every game is great news for the goalkeeper but troubling for the rest of the team. We are talking about the defensive system, not the defenders themselves. David Alaba was undoubtedly a good signing, but defensive lapses are leaving Real Madrid vulnerable on the break.

It seems clear that nobody is going to walk LaLiga Santander this season. The upper-middle class is going to fight between them and even the more modest sides like Rayo Vallecano, with Radamel Falcao, are impressing.

However, it is strange to see Atletico Madrid struggling as they are. Their inconsistency and inability to get going in most of their matches so far is unusual from them. Diego Simeone tends to correct mistakes but he's not going to let things get out of hand. It's not his style.

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Ansu Fati is the antidote to Koeman's nihilism - MARCA.com