Hansi Flick has found in Marc Casadó a fundamental piece for the scheme that he seeks to consolidate at FC Barcelona. The German has opted for a compact block (4-2-3-1), with two defensive midfielders to give solidity to the team, with Sant Pere de Vilamajor being the one who has accumulated the most minutes this summer. Against Valencia, the 20-year-old player played his first league game as a starter and did so by completing the 90 minutes, without any gaps in his recovery and start.
At Mestalla, the '17' completed 52 of 62 passes (84%), with seven defensive actions completed, including three recoveries and a couple of clearances. In head-to-head matches, he won 6 of 10 duels, in addition to shooting three times on goal, two of those attempts blocked by the 'ché' defense. Despite being a born pivot, Casadó boasts the judgment to step into the rival area, being at times more of a midfielder on the left, giving a hand to whoever plays lying down on the wing.
Hansi Flick finds his new Kimmich in Casadó
During the American tour, the youth player was compared to Joshua Kimmich due to his good movement and excellent physical display. Last season, in the reserve team, there were also those who associated him with Gavi thanks to his notable display in each game. The truth is that Hansi Flick seems to have found in the Catalan the piece that, for the moment, still has not arrived in the summer market, beyond the fact that the board keeps open the possibility of signing another pivot.
Even so, his change of number and having renewed until 2028 rule out any doubt about Casadó's future. Andreas Christensen and Eric García have shown credentials to occupy the position, but Flick has no doubts about the usefulness of the '17' in his scheme this summer. While waiting for what happens with Frenkie de Jong and Ílkay Gündogan, the one from Sant Pere de Vilamajor continues to gain confidence and aims to follow in the footsteps of Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal as figures of the 'baby Barça'.