The 'new Busquets' that Hansi Flick is 'inventing'

FC Barcelona added its second victory of the season against Athletic Club, a match where Hansi Flick once again trusted Marc Bernal with the containment work. Without Marc Casadó in the eleven due to the entry of Pedri González, the 17-year-old player was the team's only defensive pivot against the Basques. Despite his youth, the man from Berga had a notable performance during the 83 minutes he was on the field, very confident with the ball and well stopped on the mark.

In total, Bernal completed 51 of 53 passes (96%), with 3 balls recovered and the same number of duels won, in addition to a couple of successful dribbles. Although he lost 6 duels and was cautioned at the beginning of the second half for tripping Oihan Sancet, the '28' did not look out of place as '5' despite not having the help of his usual partner throughout the summer (Casadó).

Hansi Flick, satisfied with the evolution of Marc Bernal

After the game, Hansi Flick assessed the performance of the man who is gradually emerging as Barça's 'new Busquets', a position that generated many problems last season. With the departure of Oriol Romeu and the injuries of Frenkie de Jong Andreas Christensen, the German coach has trusted the kids to give balance to the team, assuming that reinforcement for that position will hardly arrive before August 30.

"I think he is having a good performance in the preseason. It is not a matter of age. He is doing well. It has not been easy against Athletic. He has a clear idea of ​​how he should play and attack in space. It has been important to have the six focused on defensive tasks," Flick commented on Bernal's performance. On Tuesday, in the visit to Rayo, it is likely that the coach will once again trust the '28' along with Casadó to reinforce containment in Vallecas.