Hansi Flick should really start €10m-rated Barcelona youngster at left-back against Inter Milan — Opinion | OneFootball

FC Barcelona, led by Hansi Flick, are set to take on Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan in the first leg of the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League at the Estadi de Montjuïc. This is the first time in six years that the club has reached this stage of the competition, and it means a lot.

For far too long at Barcelona, mediocrity has become the standard. Well, that was the case until Hansi Flick came in. The German coach has grabbed the bull by its horns and set the template on how his team should play football, and it has been breathtaking to watch.

In the fag end of the season, everyone knows what Hansi Flick’s preferred starting XI is for the big games. Referred to as the gala XI, the German coach is likely to go along expected lines against Inter Milan, but he doesn’t have Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde, due to injuries.

In the striker position, it is a no-brainer to start Ferran Torres, who has been very good throughout this campaign and is coming off a Man of the Match performance against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final back in the weekend.

That leaves Flick with only one major decision: who should start at left-back? It’s a crucial choice in a tie of this magnitude, and here at Sempre Barca, we take a closer look at the available options.

The obvious: Gerard Martin

Gerard Martin started as a left-back against Real Madrid and had a decent display, but he doesn’t offer the same threat as Balde going forward. The 23-year-old Spaniard is also susceptible on the ball and often makes the wrong decision.

That said, this has been the case all season, and yet, Hansi Flick has always placed the trust in the youngster to fill in whenever Balde needed a rest. Thus, it will come as no surprise to see him start against Inter Milan.

The left-field: Inigo Martinez

Hansi Flick tried something out in the second half of El Clásico, which could have been an idea he was thinking of ahead of the Inter Milan game. The German coach removed Martin, brought on Araujo, and moved Inigo Martinez to the left-back role.

Fair to say, the ex-Bilbao star held his own despite playing in an unfamiliar position. Inigo has always been very comfortable on the ball, and even whilst playing as a center-back, he loves to venture forward and make driving runs with the ball at his feet.

While this does mean breaking up arguably the best center-back partnership in the world this season, Ronald Araujo is equally good to fill in the void and partner Cubarsi, while also allowing Inigo to move to the left and influence the game from there.

Hector Fort of FC Barcelona warms up prior to the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The brave call: Hector Fort

It is extremely unlikely that Flick is planning on starting Fort in a game of this magnitude after hardly having given him a chance throughout the season, but if he wanted to be brave, the 18-year-old Spanish full-back would be an excellent option to fill Balde’s void.

Stylistically, Fort, despite being a naturally right-footed player, is the closest to Balde in terms of an attacking threat. He loves getting forward and has the capability to deliver devastating crosses, with both feet.

Whenever given a chance, Fort has almost never disappointed and is no stranger to being thrown into the big occasion, just as Xavi did with him last season against Atletico Madrid. However, for some reason, Flick only seems to use him when he absolutely has to rotate.

Sempre Barca Expert Opinion

Even though Hansi Flick has three decent options to choose from for the left-back position, we think the German coach has to be brave and give Hector Fort a chance against Inter Milan.

The €10 million-rated La Masia graduate got a chance to start last weekend against Mallorca and formed an excellent partnership on the left flank with Ansu Fati with his link-up play, and could replicate the same against Inter Milan.

Raphinha always operates better with an attack-minded left-back alongside him, and Fort would be able to mimic the runs that Balde usually makes while also providing considerable quality on the ball.

Playing either Gerard Martin or Inigo affects the attacking dynamic on the left flank. If Barcelona lead in the second half, Flick can always take Fort off and move Inigo into the left-back role to see out the game, and this is the way we think he should go.