Balde reignites the debate over signing a left-back

FC Barcelona shows a notable weariness in defense over the past few weeks. The team finished the first half of LaLiga with 22 goals conceded (an average of 1.8 per match), identical to that of the 2023/24 season. On the left side, the need to pursue a left-back is starting to look like a priority, as Alejandro Balde, at this moment, is far from his best version and does not have a substitute who even provides guarantees when rotating.

Against Atlético Madrid, the '3' had a good game, until the stoppage time of a match where Barça ran out of steam again. The defender was almost flawless with the ball (only missing 3 of 78 passes) and correct in individual marking (winning 4 of 6 individual duels). However, in his eagerness to help in attack, he ended up harming the team in the play that decided the match.

Balde, completely lagging behind on Atlético's second goal

On the winning goal for the 'colchoneros', the '3' was completely lagging behind in the retreat during the lethal counterattack that culminated in Sorloth's goal. With Barça pushing for victory, Álex advanced like another winger, but a poor pass from Raphinha allowed Lenglet to initiate a quick counter for Atlético. Julián Álvarez made a long pass to De Paul, who waited for Nahuel Molina's advance on the right.

The Argentine full-back took advantage of the freedom on the left side of the azulgrana to send a pass to the center of the area, where the Norwegian forward appeared behind Iñigo Martínez to fire at Iñaki Peña. Balde never appeared in the play and Eric García, who came on for Marc Casadó, was the one who tried to cover, unsuccessfully, the gap left by the '3'. In the end, Barça suffered an excessive punishment in a match they deserved to win.

Looking ahead to the winter market, there are several decisions that the board and coaching staff must make regarding the construction of the azulgrana defense for the second half of the season. The decline in recent weeks highlights the fatigue of a backline that has had very little rest against a relentless schedule and a team with little depth. On the left side, it is very clear that, with Gerard Martín, it is not enough to cover the back of a Balde who is increasingly questioned in his position, but without direct competition for the starting role.