Back with a bang – Barcelona Golden Boy’s return to form key behind team’s form in 2025 | OneFootball

The start to 2025 has been largely positive for Barcelona so far with the club securing a top-8 finish in the UCL league phase, entering the quarterfinal of the Copa del Rey and winning the Spanish Super Cup all this month.

Hansi Flick’s men have largely put their disastrous end to 2024 behind them and came back rejuvenated after the Christmas break.

An equally key factor behind Barcelona’s success over the past few weeks, however, is the return of Gavi to his best version and the pivotal role he has played in every game.

Back to the warrior he was

The La Masia graduate was a regular starter for Barcelona last season, but an untimely ACL injury in November 2023 saw him ruled out for close to a year.

He returned to the field against Sevilla on October 20 2024, 355 days after his injury, and the manager ensured to phase him in gradually to avoid any form of relapse.

In five of his first six games after his return, Gavi played under ten minutes and the manager slowly helped him regain his confidence and physical preparedness to be a key contributor.

Integral once again. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Now, however, the player is well and truly back to his physical best and has begun 2025 as an undisputed starter under Hansi Flick, proving his quality not only through his tenacity but also positional understanding and comfort on the ball.

The 20-year-old played 45 minutes in Barcelona’s win over Barbastro in the Copa del Rey and has been a starter in every game since then.

He was the protagonist in the team’s win over Athletic Club in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup with a goal and an assist and then played 59 flawless minutes against Real Madrid in the finale.

Gavi also scored in the Copa del Rely clash against Real Betis, making it the first time he has scored two goals in the same month since September 2023.

Looking ahead, it is clear that Flick will give the youngster a fair share of minutes and his position on the field also appears to be fixed as the attacking midfield.

With Gavi and Dani Olmo to choose from in the department, the manager could not have asked for more.