FC Barcelona forward Francisco Trincao impressed on his debut against Gimnastic on Saturday.
Brought on for the second half against the Catalan minnows at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, fans got to take a good look at the Portuguese for the first time since joining from Braga for a fee of €31mn ($36.8mn).
Alongside fellow new arrival Pedri, and more established stars such as Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele, Trincao was reported as one of the main highlights of the 3-1 win and particularly caught the eye of a former Barça legend that works as an analyst for Mundo Deportivo.
Also once a winger, who came through the La Masia youth system before donning Blaugrana for a decade from the late 1970s to 80s, Lobo Carrasco is a respected pundit in Spain and saw parts of himself in Trincao.
“I am very passionate about him because he is almost a twin of the way I played,” Carrasco said, then went on to affirm his belief that the 20-year-old will be most effective when deployed on the right due to his unpredictability.
“He reminds me of Kaka [when using his left foot],” beamed Carrasco, in comparison to the ambidextrous former Ballon d’Or winner.
Calling him “a great passer”, Carrasco stated that time will tell whether Trincao “picks up killer instinct when he reaches the area”, yet he already thinks that the youngster “chooses [his] final shot well”.
Of course, though, high expectations in representing an outfit of this magnitude will be a constant. “Mentally, he will have to know how to withstand the pressure of competing with players who are going to demand that he be 100% in all aspects and [also of being] at the best club in the world,” Carrasco said, pointing to teammates such as captain Lionel Messi who “goes out to win everything” every season.
There is also room to improve, with Carrasco demanding better judgment in the final third when Trincao can either play the ball from a central position or palm it off quickly to double pivots Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets in order to “avoid a turnover”.
To rectify this, Carrasco advises that it would be wise “to look at Messi, who is the one who best plays that role”.
On Wednesday, Trincao will hope to continue his promising form in Barça’s next friendly against Girona.