Barcelona: Is Sergi Roberto suited to the right-back position?

Real Betis were the latest side to exploit Sergi Roberto’s weaknesses in their 4-3 victory.

Sergi Roberto is a clear favourite of Ernesto Valverde because he plays him whenever he can due to his, versatility, intelligence and what he offers in possession with his dribbling and passing. This had led to him playing mostly as a right-back for Barcelona, which is how Luis Enrique used him in his final season, even though he is naturally a midfielder.

His footballing education at La Masia was built on him being a midfielder so his skillset isn’t fully transferable to that position and that can lead to him being slow to read dangerous situation as well as being exposed in 1v1 situations. Therefore, it should be time for Ernesto Valverde to re-evaluate his thinking for the right-back position; Barcelona’s defensive problems are serious and they aren’t going away anytime soon. Simply outscoring opponents isn’t a viable long-term strategy.

Junior Firpo turned Roberto inside out before firing past Marc-Andre ter Stegen for Betis’ first goal as he was unable to force him down the wing. It was way too easy for the young wing-back to get past Roberto because all it required was a quick bit of footwork. Betis repeatedly targeted this area due to how high up Barcelona’s full-backs play in the attacking shape as well as Roberto’s aforementioned weaknesses. They also utilised the other flank but Jordi Alba’s recovery ability made it tougher to create chances.

Betis’ second goal also started down Roberto’s wing as Junior was able to fire a pass across the box which didn’t find anyone, but Cristian Tello picked it up on the other wing and aimed a cross to Joaquin who finished. The slow tracking back of the midfielders played a large part in this goal, so it would be unfair to solely blame Roberto.

The build up to the fourth goal saw Firpo played in once again and he was able to get a cross in which Sergio Canales turned home. None of the defence had a good game, but Roberto was the weakness in the back line which they exploited in the final third. The right flank is naturally weaker than the other areas due to Lionel Messi conserving his energy, so there is less cover on that side, which is why the energetic, well-rounded Ivan Rakitic is such a good fit.

Valverde appears to be content sticking with the 4-3-3 even though Barcelona haven’t kept a clean sheet in the league since matchday two, and 3-5-2 would be a viable solution for the problems they are having without shifting too far away from their core principles. Therefore, a personnel change is the most likely solution and Nelson Semedo for Roberto would be the most obvious choice.

The Portuguese right-back is much better defensively as well as having better recovery ability. Therefore, Rakitic wouldn’t have to cover him as much due to him being comfortable in situations where he is isolated, although the Croatian won’t be available against Atletico Madrid due to suspension. He isn’t as effective at retaining possession or as dangerous on and off the ball in the final third, however, it’s an effective compromise.

Roberto showed against Real Madrid how effective he can be as part of the front three with his two assists, so he should be used in that role even if mostly as a substitute. He has the necessary energy levels to play as a wide midfielder in the defensive shape to keep the left flank from being overloaded while also supporting the attack as part of the front three. Unfortunately, this would impact the playing time of Philippe Coutinho, Malcom and Ousmane Dembele, but it would help balance out the team and allow them to see out games with and without possession.

The 26-year-old is naturally a midfielder, but he doesn’t offer more than any of the current options in a specific area, so it would be a waste to play him there. His versatility makes him a useful asset as a squad player, but the right-back position isn’t the best fit for him or the team.