Barcelona youngsters to the rescue for their defensive issues.
Everyone knew it well beforehand that Barcelona was going to struggle defensively this season. They have a good attack with big names such as Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezman, and Philippe Coutinho however, their defense was lacking power. Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet were their starting centre-backs but even their relationship was not steady.
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When Pique got injured, it was the club’s worst fear as they did not have any other experienced center-back to put into the starting position. Their failure to get Eric Garcia in the summer transfer window had come back to bite them. This meant that the club had to put their trust in youngsters such as Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza.
Experienced centre-back, Samuel Umtiti, was still recovering from injuries for the most part, and even when he did come back, he failed to display his previous form. Ronald Koeman went as far as to even play Frenkie de Jong in the center-back position in two UEFA Champions League matches.
This will, however, change now as the Dutch manager has decided to put more faith in the young defenders and they are actually showing some good potential. Araujo has made six appearances so far while Oscar has made five. They have both managed to impress the manager although their performances have not been perfect.
This still gives the Catalan side more depth to their back lines as Pique’s injury will prevent him from playing for at least four months. The players are still young, both aged 21 and they will improve over time if Koeman continues to play them.
Barcelona still have plans to bring in Eric Garcia from Manchester City next season, but the additions of Araujo and Oscar have really saved the club. They might even make a solid back partnership after Garcia arrives and if they pick up their performances, one of them could even replace the aging Pique for good.
Should Koeman play Araujo and Mingueza regularly?