21-year-old Barcelona defender continues to be a crucial part of Hansi Flick’s system | OneFootball

Having spent more than one half of the season at FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick has shown the tendency to rely more heavily on some of his fixed starters, as they play an integral role in the way he sets his team up.

This is clearly true for players like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Kounde, and Inigo Martinez, all of whom have been fixed starters for the German this season.

Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo notes that another player who is playing a very important role in this team without seeming to be a crucial player for Hansi Flick is the fullback Alejandro Balde.

Although Barcelona have not suffered a lot whenever the German has decided to rest or rotate him on the right wing, there is no doubt that Balde’s presence on the pitch opens up a lot of avenues for the Catalans.

With his physical characteristics, he is able to play two roles on the pitch, that of a left winger in addition to his natural role as a fullback. Additionally, he has shown significant improvement in recent months.

His defensive reliability allows Raphinha to play with greater freedom up front, and he takes full advantage of this freedom by moving occasionally into the central areas of the pitch and combining frequently with other players to provide a more direct threat on goal.

On the other hand, Balde also makes a difference in the attack with his explosiveness and acceleration, something that his substitutes, Gerard Martin or Hector Fort, lack.

There is no doubt that some weaknesses still exist in his game, particularly in his ability to slow down to enhance his precision and his decision-making in the final third of the game. However, his explosiveness and power allow him to get out of any pickles that he creates, and overall, he remains a source of great advantage for Barcelona.