Barcelona: Clement Lenglet offers another attacking tool from deep
Clement Lenglet has proved to be a shrewd signing so far due to what he offers on and off the ball.
The second half of last season highlighted the need for a reliable third centre-back due to Thomas Vermaelen’s injuries and Yerry Mina’s unsuitability to playing in Barcelona’s system. Therefore, the club signed French defender Clement Lenglet from Sevilla. In a similar manner to other players that have made the move between the clubs such as Ivan Rakitic and Dani Alves, Lenglet has fitted in seamlessly.
He is similar to his compatriot Samuel Umtiti in that he is left-footed, comfortable on the ball, strong aerially and reads danger well. Passing is a key attribute for any Barcelona defender due to how involved they have to be build-up play as the Catalans mostly start moves patiently from the back; Lenglet is excellent in this area and has replaced the injured Umtiti effectively due to being able to replicate his ability to recycle possession as well as playing passes through the lines.
There is one area where Lenglet has an advantage over both Gerard Pique and Umtiti, though. His long-range passing is top quality in both playing aerial balls out wide as well as down the middle. Two prominent examples of this are his pass that led to the fourth goal against Real Madrid due to Sergio Ramos’ mistake as well as a pass over the top of the defence against Cultural Leonesa which Ousmane Dembele nearly got on the end of.
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His proficiency in this area provides Barcelona with another attacking tool even though he is a centre-back. Ernesto Valverde possibly had this in mind when he brought him on for Jorge Cuenca against Leonesa because the youngster had put in a fine performance up until that point. He offered more penetration from deep areas as well as being able to play directly over the defence if the opposition opted for a high defensive line. The substitution ended up being a masterstroke by Valverde because Lenglet headed home a late winner from Dembele’s free kick.
Barcelona can sometimes struggle against teams that press high and attempt to contain them in their own half such as Roma did in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last season. The lack of adequate spacing between the players affects the rhythm of their passing game, which leads to more turnovers in dangerous areas, although there were multiple factors that contributed to the Roma result such as the poor overall team performance.
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The arrival of Arthur Melo certainly helps in this regard because of his willingness to receive the ball with his back to the opposition as well as how he is able to keep hold of possession and keep it circulating, which ensures Sergio Busquets isn’t overburdened with responsibility. However, Lenglet provides a more direct solution because he can effectively bypass a high defensive line with accuracy using balls over the top for a willing runner such as Dembele, Luis Suarez or, even, Lionel Messi.
It adds variety to Barcelona’s play without having a major effect on their style because just a few balls in behind gives the defenders something to consider and may make them wary of playing too high up in fear of getting exposed and that upsets the organisation of the defensive line. Barcelona’s first goal against Real Madrid as well as their repeated targeting of Real’s right flank are excellent examples of how effective this strategy can be.