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Five FC Barcelona preseason takeaways

By Luis Garcia

BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 08: Barcelona players leaves the pitch after the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 08: Barcelona players leaves the pitch after the Joan Gamper Trophy match between FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 08, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) /
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2. Oriol Romeu is looking very solid

The first match of the preseason, against Arsenal, had Barça fans far and wide lamenting the signing of Oriol Romeu – never mind the fact he had literally only been with the team for four days at that point, and that it was the very first game. However, since then, he’s been incredibly solid.

He’s looked great on the ball, better every match. Barring the first match, he’s protected possession beautifully and also found some nice passes. Defensively, he’s been tremendous. His sense of positioning on both sides of the ball has been great. He’s just a smart, strong player. Is he Sergio Busquets? No. But then, no one is. For the position and role he’s asked to play, though, Romeu is more than a capable short to mid- term solution.

But more than that, his defensive instincts and positional discipline seem to unlock Frenkie de Jong’s strengths. Frenkie can carry the ball forward into more dangerous positions knowing he’s got Romeu backing him up. The two of them might not start every game, but when they do, it’s going to look pretty good together.