Best and Worst Barcelona players so far this season
We are barely two months into the 2018-19 season, and so far it’s been anything but predictable. Some of the European Giants, namely Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Manchester United have had average start to the season and are struggling to get back to their usual winning ways.
FC Barcelona is second in the table, 1 point behind the table toppers Sevilla and Real Madrid are fourth in the table, 2 points behind the League Leaders. While this may sound decent to a Football novice, the fact that Barcelona and Real Madrid have dropped 9 points and 10 points respectively so early in the season should be a concern for the fans of these clubs.
FC Barcelona started the season in their usual manner, winning their first five matches which included a magnificent 8-2 victory against Huesca and an impressive 4-0 victory against PSV in UEFA Champions League. In the next five matches, Barcelona managed only one victory, a Lionel Messi masterclass against Tottenham Hotspurs in the Champions League.
In the league, the Catalan Giants are winless in the last four matches, drawing 3 and losing one. Barcelona fans are a demanding lot and while Ernesto Valverde’s job is relatively secure at the moment, he needs to improve the results to keep it that way.
Though the season is still in its infancy, it’s a good time to look at the best and worst Barcelona players so far:
Worst: #3 Nelson Semedo
Well, it was never going to be easy to replace Dani Alves. Semedo was roped in last season with the hope that he will be able to fill in Dani’s shoes. While the Portuguese took his time to adapt to the life at Camp Nou, Sergi Roberto, a converted right-back went about his duties quietly. Though Semedo found playing time hard to come by last season, he impressed in the limited minutes he got with his pace and work rate.
With Sergi Roberto getting injured at the beginning of the season, Semedo was handed over the starting right-back role and much was expected of him. But so far, he has failed to live up to the expectations. Make no mistake, Semedo’s work rate and commitment can never be questioned. But his indecision while going forward and his poor final ball has hurt Barcelona on more than one occasion.
Semedo’s defensive positioning too has been questionable at times and he has been dispossessed 1.2 times/match – a very high number for a right back. While it’s too early to write someone as talented as Semedo off, his performances surely need to improve for him to be a regular started at Camp Nou.