3 Things We Learned: Sporting Gijón vs FC Barcelona

Barcelona demolished Sporting Gijón in an impressive display away from home minus the Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi.

Turan Steps Up

After the injury to Messi his replacement needed to step up, that Turan did. The Turkish international played a bit deeper than Messi would although the Argentinian naturally drifts around the pitch in order to pick up the ball. However, Turan was basically playing as a midfielder rather than being a winger if we were to simplify it. This allowed him to have a big role in the intricate attacking build-up play which he excelled in. His role was similar to where he played at Atlético Madrid which is where he played his best football.

In terms of specific statistics, Turan got a goal and an assist which is an impressive contribution. He also had a 96% pass success rate, had two successful dribbles, and won all of his aerial duels. Therefore, his statistics proved that he had a great game overall due to his efficiency with the ball as well as his general work effort. If he can continue this form then Messi’s absence may have less of an effect than everyone originally thought. It would also allow him to genuinely challenge for a first team place in midfield once Messi returns.

The Rest of the Midfield

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Each of the midfielders had a composed display which was needed because this was a potential ‘banana skin’. Sergio Busquets was the only first team regular in midfield to play in this match. He put in a usual performance for him: calm, efficient and constantly keeping the ball moving in the opposition half. Busquets was also effective at breaking apart the opposition attacks which significantly limited Gijón’s effectiveness. André Gomes was effective in his role if not outstanding with him being just as good defensively as offensively. If anything though Barcelona needed another reliable presence able to recycle play alongside Busquets due to the amount of creative players already on the pitch, so Gomes did his role perfectly.

Rafinha excelled in his fluid role with a goal to his name to top it off. He worked well with Sergi Roberto on the wing in order to provide a dual threat as well as tracking back effectively to ensure Roberto wasn’t isolated. This performance showed that he is a more than capable deputy when Luis Enrique wants to do squad rotation throughout the season. Denis Suárez also deserves a mention as well with a brilliant assist for Neymar after coming on from the bench. Once again showing his natural creativity in the final third which Barcelona bought him back for.

Rafinha ended up moving up in to Messi’s role when Barca attacked due to Turan playing in the centre. However, this was fluid because he moved back to form a four man midfield when defending, so he was technically a midfielder at times as can be seen from the heatmaps for the match.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images. /

Sergi Roberto Excels

If there was any question over who deserves the right back role prior to this match then Roberto settled it. The product of La Masia is a natural midfielder, but over the past couple of seasons Luis Enrique has helped transformed him into a full back. He seems to have a natural affinity for the role because of his ability on the ball, as well as his defensive knowledge which seems to grow every game. Dani Alves is a hard person for Barcelona to replace, but if Roberto carries on improving at this rate then he may prove to be a brilliant replacement. Against Gijón he provided two assists with his pinpoint crossing ability which is a great attribute for a full back to have.

Defensively he put in a good shift, but Barça weren’t really tested by the Gijón attackers especially after they were reduced to ten men. Nonetheless, it was still a great performance by the Spaniard. It’s also important to Barcelona’s future that he continues to develop because the attacking threat of the full backs is a cornerstone of how Barça play due to the control they enforce on games. The style of play means that they need the full backs to provide the extra width in order to stretch the opposition. This is something that Alves excelled at, so it’s great that Roberto is continuing this. This added threat enhances Barcelona’s attack significantly, so it’s key that he continues to improve. It’s also great to see another La Masia product thriving after the recent lack of players making the first team.

Statistics according to Whoscored.com.