The night Gerard Pique prejudiced Gerard Deulofeu

It was a relex. He pushed the ball with his arm. And he scored a goal that didn't count. As he already had been booked, it meant he was sent off. Gerard Pique was in the middle of the controversy as Barcelona beat Olympiakos on Wednesday. It was an action which didn't just end with the defender heading for an early shower, but also had serious consequences for Gerard Deulofeu, who was removed at half time to make way for Javier Mascherano. 

Deulofeu, who returned to the starting lineup after an impressive cameo in the second half against Atletico Madrid, was offering his best form. Deulofeu was being the Deulofeu we all want to see. The Deulofeu that exists but that does not always appear. A brilliant Deulofeu, running at defences, creating danger... but the show only lasted 45 minutes. 

Barça coach Ernesto Valverde decided to go with a fourth defender to cover the absence of the expelled Pique. And Deulofeu's recital ended. A shame, because it looked as if, finally, the La Masia product was going to give us an entire game at a good level, cancelling out the theory that he can only be a player for 30 minutes. Despite watching the second half from the bench, his performance excited us. A lot.  

Because what Barça need is players like Deulofeu. Brave. Daring. Someone who looks for the impossible to create superiority. He did well during his one half showing against Olympiakos. Now it remains to be seen if Valverde will give him continuity in the coming games. With what we have seen on Wednesday at Camp Nou, he deserves it.