5 things we learnt from Barcelona’s pre-season tour
Barcelona concluded their pre-season tour of the United States with a 3-2 win over Real Madrid in only the 2nd ever El Clasico to be held outside of Spain. The Camp Nou outfit return to Catalunya with a cent percent record in pre-season courtesy of victories over Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
While not a lot should be made of their pre-season success, it does give us an idea of how the team is shaping up under new manager Ernesto Valverde – who took over the reins from Luis Enrique at the start of the season.
So without further ado, we take a look at the 5 things we learnt from Barcelona’s pre-season tour:
#5 Barcelona need to sort out their midfield
One of the biggest reasons behind Barcelona’s failure last season was their midfield, or the lack thereof. The Catalan outfit were overrun in midfield by almost all good teams as was evident in the 4-0 mauling by Paris Saint-Germain and the 3-0 drubbing by Juventus.
The lack of an established right-back in the squad hurt Luis Enrique’s side just as much but they have addressed the issue with the arrival of Nelson Semedo.
Sergio Busquets is no longer the defensive shield that he was during the club’s tiki-taka days and the club should consider using him in a deep-lying playmaker role rather than one of defensive midfielder. Andres Iniesta at 33 is not getting any younger, while Ivan Rakitic’s lack of form in the first part of last season is a huge cause of concern – should it be the case again this season.
Last season’s midfield reinforcements in Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez have failed to live up to the expectation, while it remains to be seen how Sergi Roberto fares in the centre, having spent the last season deputizing at right-back.
Barcelona have the quantity but lack the quality to dominate midfield in the big games and the club have identified it, going by their relentless pursuit of Marco Verratti. However, they need a defensive anchorman, a destroyer and should consider other cheaper alternatives if they are unable to land the Italian. Jean Michel Seri is a very good shout for that.