Coach Hans Flick surprised everyone during Barcelona's match against Atletico Madrid when he decided to play Dani Olmo in the false nine position, keeping Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres on the bench in a new tactical move this season, according to the Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo'.

This decision was not made on the spur of the moment, as the German coach had been considering this option for some time and had tried it in training more than once. Before the second leg against Newcastle in the round of 16, which ended with a big 7-2 win after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Flick hinted at the possibility of implementing this idea but postponed its execution, including in the last match against Rayo before the international break.

Flick explained in his statements at the time that he had not made a final decision, emphasizing the importance of relying on Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski at their best during the crucial stage of the season, which led him to delay trying Olmo in this role. The coach had previously relied on Rashford in this position without resorting to Olmo, but the player was not surprised by the new assignment.

The origin of Olmo's experience in the striker position goes back to his beginnings with Barcelona, where he played as a pure striker between 2008 and 2011, distinguished by his scoring instinct. In the Alevin B team, he occupied the number 9 position before gradually transitioning to play as a winger and playmaker as his level developed.

The 2011-2012 season marked a significant turning point in his career when coach Fran Sanchez decided to move him to the right wing position. Despite moving away from the penalty area, Olmo adapted to his new position and continued to develop his performance during his experiences in Croatia and Germany until he became a technically complete player.