€15m midfield gem has emerged as the engine room for Hansi Flick’s Barcelona – Opinion | OneFootball

Ah, the magic of numbers! Not mere digits, but a symphony of performances condensed into match ratings for FC Barcelona’s midfield maestro, Marc Casado: a 7.0, a 7.4, a 7.2, another 7.2, a 7.1, and yet another 7.4

Each rating reflects the artistry and tenacity of a player who dances through the midfield like a conductor guiding a grand orchestra. These aren’t just ratings; these are a testament to Casado’s brilliance against various opposition, as per Sofa Score.

The search for Sergio Busquets’ replacement has been going on in Barcelona for some time now. Since his exit from the Catalan club to Inter Miami, the pivot position has been an area of concern. At least, it was until the beginning of the season.

Last season, Xavi Hernandez brought in Oriol Romeu from Girona. It’s safe to say that the experiment was a disaster and less than 12 months since, he has already been shipped back to his former club. Thus, it was intriguing to see how his successor Hansi Flick was going to handle this situation.

The German is a simple man. He sees a problem, he goes to the most probable solution. Most times, at Barcelona, the solution is always in La Masia. Flick went to the academy and cherry-picked two players – Marc Bernal and Marc Casasdo.

The two had completely contrasting career paths until their entry into the first team. Bernal belonged to the Fati, Gavi, Yamal, and Cubarsi bracket. He was and still is a child prodigy and was just 17 when he made his Barcelona debut. Things looked very promising for him this season until his ACL injury.

Casado on the other hand had done the hard yards in the academy. He captained Barca Athletic last season and banged on the door with performances but was never afforded an opportunity and is currently one of the older players of La Masia at 21.

Had it not been for Bernal’s injury when it happened, Casado might not have enjoyed the kind of prominence he is enjoying today but as they say, when the opportunity comes knocking, you need to be ready to take it with both hands.

Casado’s breakthrough season in the first team at Barcelona so far is as good as breakthroughs can get. In less than three months, he has established himself as one of the best-holding midfielders in La Liga, and guess what, he is more than just that.

The €15m-rated gem’s lungs need further inspection. Casado’s energy on the field is almost Bernardo Silva-esque. He constantly presses for the entire 90 minutes or however long he is on the field. He almost looks tireless at the end of games, which is quite incredible for how much running he does.

Casado’s defensive awareness reminds one of Busquets. Long-limbed, just like the former Barcelona captain, the 21-year-old is an expert at the slide tackles. He rarely gets a tackle wrong, which is incredible for the high-risk position he plays in.

Apart from all this, what stands out about Casado is his composure on the ball. He can weave out of pressure with ease, using just body feints and quick changes of direction. On the ball, he always makes the right decision.

He has mastered the disguised pass, which is typical of most La Masia-bred midfielders. He can break lines of pressure with a single pass, as evidenced by his assist to Robert Lewandowski in El Clasico. His long-balls might be few but they are almost always executed with precision, as seen with his assist for Raphinha’s goal against Bayern Munich.

He has established an understanding with Pedri and the duo runs the show from midfield. Their profiles complement one another perfectly and there is no doubt that Casado will thrive alongside Frenkie de Jong as well.

Casado averages 65 touches per game, 0.7 key passes, 91% pass accuracy, 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 3.3 balls recovered, 3.8 ground duels and despite playing such a risky game, he has been yellow-carded just once. [Stats: Sofa Score] One word: world-class.

We still find ourselves in the nascent days of both the season and the burgeoning career of young Marc Casado. Yet, amidst this early chapter, a singular truth emerges: the 21-year-old is rapidly becoming the heartbeat of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona ensemble.

With every touch and every pass, he weaves himself deeper into the fabric of this illustrious team, poised to establish his place in the club’s folklore. If he maintains this trajectory, the skies are the limit for his aspirations, and we will all be privileged to witness the unfolding of a legacy at Barcelona.