Scoring goals for fun and catching teams offside, Hansi Flick’s new-look Barcelona is proving to be a handful for their opponents this season.
Even though the juggernaut has slowed down in recent weeks after an incredible October, defeating the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the same week and taking the rest of the smaller fodder to the cleaners, the belief in the system remains profound.
And a lot of the belief in the efficiency of the Barcelona machine is down to the excellence of one man holding it together, Marc Casado.
His rise to prominence in the team, becoming an undisputed starter and securing a place in Flick’s gala XI has provided Barcelona with the Sergio Busquets-esque influence and skillset that the club cried out for ever since the latter’s departure.
Casado is a player and profile to be grateful for as this ascension didn’t come easy, nor – as will be known – was it guaranteed only a little more than five months ago.
Delayed arrival
Casado is cule through and through. Since the age of 13, he has been a part of the La Masia setup and has always been considered to be one of the most exciting midfield prospects produced by the academy.
By 2022, Casado rose up through the ranks, found his place in the Barcelona B team (now Barca Atletic) and quickly cemented himself as an undisputed starter.
His impact on the reserve team and the prominence within caught the eye of coach Xavi Hernandez, who handed him his debut that year in the Champions League and called up the youngster to train with the first team for the following 2023/24 season.
It was a season of uncertainty for Barcelona who had parted ways with their captain and ever-reliable Sergio Busquets and his stop-gap replacement in Oriol Romeu simply was not cut out for the same responsibility at the highest level.
As it came to pass, Xavi’s Barcelona, without the steel and defensive acumen of their great number 5 seemed unable to cope with transitions or the opposition’s attacking swerve, and the youngster seemed to be an ideal solution to put an end to the rot.
Therefore, it only seemed to be a matter of time before Casado got his shot at the base of midfield.
However, Xavi looked the other way and fielded Andreas Christensen as the pivot and Casado continued to be overlooked and under-appreciated at the club. While he successfully made it into the matchday squads due to injuries, he was confined to warming the bench.
Credit to the former coach, that move did pay dividends, but not long after it once again proved to be a stop-gap and a switch that left the fans perplexed about his hesitance towards playing an established defensive midfielder in Casado.
On the flip side, Casado proved to be pivotal for Barca Atletic, even donning the captain’s armband for the season. All the more reason to be confused about Xavi’s decision to not call upon the player more frequently.
Ultimately, Xavi’s unsurprising renewed resolve to stay at the club after deciding to leave earlier in the season and his deployment of Casado as the absolute last resort, allowing him a combined total of 35 minutes across the entire season over four games, meant Casado had begun to envision his future outside of Barcelona.
With his contract set to expire in June 2024, he had one foot out the exit door and Casado was on the verge of joining a list of very talented players who left the club in search of regular first-team minutes elsewhere.
Until Hansi Flick came along.
The balancing act
If Xavi recognized his potential, then Flick unleashed Casado through his idea of football and in his image.
After a frustrating period with Xavi at the helm, Casado was about to be released by Barcelona.
But the departing boss’ German replacement saw his talent, potential and ability to handle the demands of a no.6 in his system and promoted him to the first team alongside his namesake, Marc Bernal.
Initially, Flick preferred Bernal’s athleticism to Casado’s aggression and used him as a substitute for the 17-year-old talent from the youth ranks.
However, Bernal’s unfortunate ACL injury three games into the season meant Casado could finally get his chance to make the pivot spot his own.
And boy did he grab that chance and some more.
Fielded in a double-pivot in Flick’s 4-2-3-1 system, Casado shields the backline while his midfield compatriot Pedri is allowed to scour the field and open up passing lanes as he wishes to wield the ball.
It is the security in and out of possession that is provided by the 21-year-old La Masia graduate that has enabled Barcelona to attack with ridiculous incisions and defend with incredible intensity.
Casado is also an excellent reader of the game with aggressive defensive traits and a rather proactive approach to his game in possession.
His anticipation of looming danger and foiling the counter-offensive by the opposition, all while being reliable in possession with his press resistance, smart passing and movement and incredible passing range, makes him one of the most complete midfield profiles in Europe.
His stats back it up too, with five assists delivered to his forwards and a top-ranker in defensive stats, racking up the count of duels won – averaging almost four successful duels per game with a 60% completion rate – Casado is making the most of his chances.
All while maintaining his versatility, capable of filling in at right-back as he has done multiple times for the youth team. Simply put, there is absolutely nothing Marc Casado can’t do.
It must also be noted how quintessential he is to the setup already with his role in the side, safely at par in terms of importance with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pedri.
Casado’s absence from the lineup is felt and there is a stark difference between a Barcelona with and without him.
One would only have to look at last week’s lethargic display and laboured defensive performance in the 1-2 defeat against Las Palmas at home.
Without Casado looking out for the team and marshalling the play, the league leaders looked out of sorts in every department, highlighting the importance of his presence to shut down attacks and circulate possession with purpose.
Not to mention, the incredible chemistry he has developed with Pedri and Dani Olmo in midfield thanks to their complimentary profiles is crucial to making the side tick.
All in all, an assuring influence in a chaos-inducing Barcelona team.
Reflection
Judging by his meteoric impact, it is safe to say Casado is the tonic of balance that Barcelona needed last season and one that allows Flick ball to flow in all its glory.
His consistent performances have also earned him a cap with the Spanish National Team this season and with Rodri out injured, Casado can be held in contention to be a mainstay for Barcelona and Spain for years to come.
A common factor to the potentially all-conquering Barcelona team and one of the most aggressive offensive teams on the planet, both the players and the fans are seeing a homegrown ‘Joshua Kimmich’, as Casado is jokingly compared to, pull the strings from one of the most difficult positions to play in football.
A realization must be felt. A realization that difficult questions were asked after the departure of Sergio Busquets, but as fans have found out, Marc Casado was the answer all along.
