1 Luis Enrique was impressed by Alen Halilovic in his Barcelona debut, but keen to avoid unrealistic expectations of the youngster

The first fixture of the pre-season is always a strange one for FC Barcelona. The majority of the early summer squads tend to be made up of fringe and youth players, and the high concentration of Camp Nou stars participating at the World Cup has only further depleted the list of first team regulars available for duty this week.

A golden opportunity was handed to the youngsters participating in Luis Enrique’s debut game in charge of the Barcelona seniors therefore, and while the 1-0 Catalan victory over Recreativo was discreet in many ways, a few players stood out above the rest. None more so than Alen Halilovic, who in 45 minutes showed enough to suggest he’s likely to outgrow Barcelona B sooner rather than later.

Though barely 18-years-old, competition was fierce for Alen Halilovic’s signature when he made the decision to leave Dinamo Zagreb earlier this year. With more than 50 first team games under his belt, the playmaker’s reputation was significant enough to suggest he would join one of the bigger sides in Europe, but in opting for the Camp Nou in March, the youngster showed vision beyond his years. There is an endless list of developing talents tempted by big money contracts from major European clubs who ultimately do little more than hoover up players en-masse only to disregard them at a later date, but Halilovic’s move to Barcelona looks much more calculated. Not only do the Catalans have an excellent record of developing youngsters into the finished article, capable of either playing for their first team or at the top level elsewhere, but their deal for the Croatian also included the requirement that he should play first with Barcelona B, before being promoted to the seniors at the club’s discretion.

Whoever advises Halilovic is advising him well, a refreshing turn of events in this day and age. By starting with Barcelona B, the Croatian can acclimatise to both the demands of Spanish football and the demands of Barcelona’s system, with the latter being a sticking point even for experienced senior players at a much more advanced stage in their career than the 18-year-old. If and when he outgrows the Liga Adelante, he will be promoted to the Barcelona senior squad, armed with the understanding necessary to give establishing himself in the first team a genuine shot. Halilovic’s showing in Huelva suggests that opportunity will arrive, provided he applies himself.

From the start the playmaker was bright. Confident and willing to take players on, he frequently attempted dribbles and rarely lost the ball, happy to receive under pressure then either beat his marker or pick out a team mate with a well-weighted pass. His movement off the ball, equally, was excellent, showing an understanding of both where his companions were placed and where he needed to move accordingly, something that must largely have come from natural intuition given the Croatian has spent little time training as a Barcelona player. The youngster even managed to provide a rare goal threat in a first half featuring sparse opportunities in that regard.

He may only have lasted 45 minutes, but it was enough for both Catalan radio and social media to light up in appreciation of the new signing. More than one commentator even compared his dribbling to a young Lionel Messi, and while that’s symptomatic of our desire to relate footballers to others of a much greater stature without genuine justification (Halilovic has previously been labelled ‘the Croatian Messi’ despite the obvious disparity in level), it is true that the Croatian’s talent for both shielding and manipulating the ball at pace is a rarity even at Barcelona.

It’s early days, and time will tell if Halilovic really has what it takes to make the leap up and become a Barcelona regular. Great dribbling in a pre-season game is one thing, but learning the patience required to play in an attacking position for the Blaugrana – where it’s often about choosing not to do something and waiting for the perfect opportunity rather than forcing the issue – is another. Encouragingly, the playmaker has already shown signs which indicate he has the capacity to learn what is necessary to adapt to the Camp Nou, and if he can make the most of a privileged education with the B team, both the player and his new club could benefit immeasurably in the near future.