While Barcelona’s 5-0 dismantling of Valencia at Mestalla on Sunday was impressive, the result contains a more worrying context for the rest of La Liga and the Champions League. Rodri is already looking like the signing that can elevate Barcelona to another level in the most important games.
Despite not being fully fit after his summer transfer, the Spanish international put in a performance that suggested he would be no problem to slot into the centre of the park. He completed 81 of his 83 passes, completed all 5 long balls and made 6 key recoveries. He dictated the game from the middle of the park, smothering out any counter-attacking threat and, most importantly, he did it all without looking like he was out of breath.
However, the impact he has gone beyond his own performances.
Unleashing the midfield
The biggest reason why Barcelona were unable to unlock their best-ever potential in recent seasons was because their best creative players were forced to operate from deep.
This was particularly evident in the case of Pedri, who was often tasked with too many responsibilities last season due to Barca’s lack of a reliable defensive midfielder. He was constantly dropping deep to help out his team in transition which limited his influence in the final third, despite his sublime creative ability.
His work rate was tremendous, but he was operating from a completely different level than usual. With the luxury of a shield in front of him, the Spanish maestro will be even more dangerous this season as he can stay high and probe the spaces in the middle of the park.
The same goes for Fermin Lopez, who will be much more threatening when he can attack the box knowing that the back door is securely closed.
Raising the ceiling
It is the kind of reinforcement that Barcelona needed to take their Champions League campaign to the next level.
In the most important games, against the strongest opponents in Europe, wins are often built in transition. The Blaugrana needed a player like Rodri to act as a safety net in those moments. The addition of the Manchester City midfielder will provide the kind of defensive cover that allows Barca’s creative players to thrive.
If this summer’s signing can put in an equally strong display in the months to come, is fully fit and at his best, it is going to be hard to stop Barcelona from achieving something special in the Champions League.
After all, Rodri has been nothing short of sensational at Mestalla, despite his fitness concerns. If he can regularly provide that kind of shield for his teammates, whole Barcelona can thrive.
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