Barcelona: Teenage star Lamine Yamal is carrying the weight of expectations as Hansi Flick's Barcelona face the unenviable challenge of dethroning a fearsome Real Madrid side as Spanish champions this season.
The German coach replaced club legend Xavi Hernandez at the helm and welcomed new arrival Dani Olmo last week, but last season's La Liga winners Madrid signed superstar French striker Kylian Mbappe earlier this summer.
The forward joins Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and other star names to ensure Barcelona begin the season as firm underdogs to Los Blancos.
The Catalan giants won nothing last season and surrendered their Spanish crown in a deeply disappointing campaign, but 17-year-old Yamal's emergence shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Along with Olympic gold medal-winning centre-back Pau Cubarsi, financially-hampered Barcelona will rely on their young stars to try and compete with the might of Carlo Ancelotti's Champions League winners.
Many believe Barcelona need a left winger and a deep-lying midfielder to put themselves in a position to fight for silverware but the club's economic struggles make those dreams unlikely after Olmo's arrival.
Flick's side beat Madrid in pre-season during a tour of the United States but were brought crashing down to earth on Monday by Monaco, who enjoyed a 3-0 win in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium in their final friendly.
"We didn't play with our normal speed or normal combinations, we lost a lot of balls," said Flick after the chastening defeat.
"But in the end, it is pre-season. I know the team can play much better than today.
"We have five days more now and will prepare them well for the next match against Valencia (Barca's La Liga opener)."
The German coach is hoping to transform the club's pressing game but with pivotal striker Robert Lewandowski soon turning 36, there are doubts over whether he can achieve it.
Flick is further set back by injuries to midfielders Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, as well as centre-back Ronald Araujo, which mean he starts the season with depleted ranks.
Barcelona are planning to return to their renovated Camp Nou stadium midway through the season if building works stay on track which will be a welcome boost for demoralised fans.
Although a club of Barcelona's size is always aiming to compete for silverware, expectations seem lower than usual in Catalonia.
Gone are the days where stellar names like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar gave Barcelona the most fearsome attacking line in world football.
Instead it was youngster Yamal who fans cheered for against Monaco, with Barcelona supporters' biggest roar of the night reserved for the moment the winger jogged down the touchline to warm up.
Yamal, who made his Barca debut at 15, was a vital figure in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph this season and has taken to elite football like a duck to water.
No challenge has appeared too daunting thus far for Barcelona academy starlet Yamal, leading to inevitable comparisons with Messi.
With Sergi Roberto departing after 14 years in the first-team squad, Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes the armband as Barcelona captain.
"I hope the fans are with us all year because many good things are ahead of us," said the goalkeeper after the Monaco defeat.
"Let's hope (that) was an accident... it's a good warning, and let's hope that in a few days we'll be better."
If Barcelona are to be able to compete with Madrid this season, that needs to be the case.--AFP.