Dani Olmo came off the bench to grab Barcelona's fifth against Real Betis at La Cartuja on Saturday, timing his return to form perfectly ahead of a decisive week. He's locked in a scrap with Fermin Lopez for the playmaker role, and that's handed Hansi Flick an extra weapon.
Catalan newspaper"Sport" report that Olmo picked the perfect moment to end a drought stretching back to 15 March, when he struck against Sevilla at the Camp Nou.
Forty matches followed for Barcelona and Spain, friendlies included, without Olmo finding the net.
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Goals weren't everything, though. Olmo racked up 13 assists across that spell and played his part in Spain's world title, featuring in every match at the tournament and creating two goals.
This season he's added four assists for Barcelona in La Liga and the Champions League, plus three more for Spain in the UEFA Nations League. The impact goes well beyond finishing.
That strike could hardly have landed at a better time. Barcelona face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, then the Clasico against Real Madrid on 25 October. Two matches that could shape the whole season, and Flick heads into them with his midfielder's confidence restored.
Fermin has the edge on current form, according to "Sport", but Flick wants to hand out minutes, rotating the pair in his starting line-up. He's even used both together behind the striker.
Energy is Fermin's calling card, along with his knack for arriving in scoring positions. Olmo offers calm, vision and the decisive pass. Flick can pick whichever suits the opponent and the state of the game, and he's got a substitute capable of turning it, exactly as Olmo did against Betis.
Paris and Madrid are next, so Flick has a big call to make over who starts in the playmaker role. Olmo's latest goal was his answer.