Weird isn't it. Yaya has great hold up play with his big frame giving the wingbacks time to make runs behind. Dinho plays 2-touch passes very often and can't hold the ball so the wingbacks come to him instead. Sane was awful today for sure, but before the Walker send off he was deeper than Walker, which doesn't make any sense. At Barcelona Neymar was used in the same position as Sane but much more attacking and Pep has somehow not noticed to use Sane this way.352 with Yaya - devastating.
352 without Yaya - disaster.
I don't know what it is that's caused Pep to drop him after he looked great there in preseason, but whatever it is, the system doesn't work properly without him.