Sergi Roberto has been talking about his best position at Barcelona after impressing in an unfamiliar left-sided midfield role in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Villarreal.
The versatile La Masia graduate has shared the right-back slot with Nelson Semedo over the last couple of seasons but feels he is best used on the left of midfield, according to Sport’s Ivan San Antonio.
“Tactically, it has been a while since I played there. Sometimes I play central midfield but on the right and today I was on the left side, where I am most comfortable. It’s where I played for Barça B.
“I enjoyed it, I had a lot of fun, with space and focused on the opposition’s defence. It’s a shame I had to back to right-back [late on] but I am happy to help the team playing wherever.”
Manager Quique Setien changed his formation for Sunday’s win after a run of three draws in four games. He reverted to a midfield diamond and brought Roberto and Antoine Griezmann back into the starting XI.
It proved to be a good decision by the 61-year-old coach. Roberto put in an impressive performance in midfield, while Griezmann ended his recent goal drought with a brilliant strike in the first half.
Praise For Roberto After Villarreal Win
Roberto came in for praise for his performance against Villarreal. The Catalan had not started since the 2-0 win over Leganes due to a rib injury but played all 90 minutes at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Manager Quique Setien was pretty impressed by the 28-year-old and singled him out for praise in his post-match press conference.
“He was spectacular. He came with positive and renewed energy after that injury. I’ve told him that he has to be versatile. He does it well. He always does it to perfection.”
Roberto reverted to his usual right-back slot in the second half, to allow Nelson Semedo a breather, but may have played his way into contention for Wednesday’s clash against Espanyol.
Barcelona Spoilt for Choice in Midfield
Setien now appears spoilt for choice in midfield with Roberto joining his list of options. The Barca coach already has Sergio Busquets, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic, Arthur and Frenkie de Jong in his squad, while youngster Riqui Puig has also impressed recently.
The coach’s new formation on Sunday also helped to bring out the best in Griezmann in attack alongside Luis Suarez. The Frenchman has struggled for goals in 2020 but scored a fine lob from a Lionel Messi backheel and looked far brighter.
Barcelona’s much-improved display means Setien is unlikely to make too many changes for their next fixture against Espanyol, and Roberto and Griezmann have certainly given their manager a pleasant selection headache.
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Sergi Roberto Makes Surprise Admission About Barcelona Role