FC Barcelona is set to kick off its preseason tour against former Barcelona manager Pep's side, Manchester City. Given the fortunes of both teams, Barca and Man City have faced similar fates in recent times. While the Blaugrana club lost Nico's deal, Man City is coming on the back of losses against Celtic and AC Milan.
But given the status of these two giant clubs on the European stage, Barcelona and Manchester City possess what it takes to return their best. The fixture would not only host Barcelona's legendary manager, Pep Guardiola Vs FC Barcelona itself, but both teams would like to win it to carry the positive mindset forward.
Who could be Barca's secret weapon against Manchester City?
The match looks set to be an enthralling contest featuring the likes of match winners like Lewandowski, Gundogan, Raphinha, Haaland, and Grealish. However, a name could emerge as Barca's secret weapon to dismantle the backline of Manchester City.
Initially brought in for €40M as the successor of Robert Lewandowski, Vitor Roque's Barcelona career hasn't had much positives till now. Though the youngster had some magic moments, two goals in 16 appearances don't provide much credibility to Vitor Roque's potential. His senior teammate Robert Lewandowski has recently acknowledged Roque's trouble, saying,
""Signing to Barça from Brazil is a big jump. It's a different culture. Portuguese is similar to Spanish, but it's not the same.""Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski further added,
""He has to trust himself and work hard. He has the talent to succeed, but what happens depends on him.""Robert Lewandowski
Clearly, given the player's potential, Roque could still become one of the greats of modern football, and a new manager in Hansi Flick could help his cause, given Xavi didn't count on the Brazilian forward much. Moreover, Roque's recent performance against Olot has been quite well, and the forward showed that he has what it takes to take on the biggest European teams.
Add to that his hunger to succeed at Barca and guarantee a spot in the eleven by convincing Flick in the preseason. As Roque has done a few times for FC Barcelona, he could usher in a late goal contribution against Man City in the final third. Thus, the opener against Manchester City is not only a huge opportunity for Vitor Roque but also a possible pathway to Barca's next season XI.