Chances of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League - Part 3
Besides David Villa, there are other players who can simply change the cause of the game for Barcelona. The defending sensation Carlos Puyol is definitely one of them. The Spanish legend shows in every game that he is definitely not “off age” and can simply
become a concrete wall for the Catalan giants.
Counter attacks or stable build ups, Carlos Puyol is always there to help his team lead to victory. His captain’s armband simply shows why he is such an important player for the Spaniards and he leads the team perfectly. His partnership with the other centre
back, Gerard Pique is simply phenomenal and both of them combine well at the back to help the team make a build up to score a goal.
Even though Puyol is such an important player for the Spaniards and he is the captain of the team, the age factor does come in sometimes and he injures himself and has to be sidelined while Xavi Hernandez takes charge of the team.
Gerard Pique is also a key figure for the Catalans and he is the one who takes control of the defence whenever Puyol is not there. When the captain is missing out from the defence, the Argentinean defender Gabriel Milito takes his place in the centre of
the 18 yard box; however, it is the young Pique who helps the team at the back. The former Manchester United defender would have done anything to play for the Catalan giants and he came back and become one of the best defenders in the world. His aerial ability
is simply phenomenal and he does not let his man make the slightest of moves around him.
The full back and the Brazilian right back Daniel Alves is also a player to watch out for. He simply wonders on the right flank and becomes a deadly instrument for the oppositions when he combines with Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi. He also moves forward
to cross the ball into the 18 yard box and usually his “wonder ball” finds the man inside the 18 yard box and the team easily scores goals. He is currently regarded as one of the best right backs in the world, however he still struggles for the first team
spot in the Brazilian national team as they have reserved it for the “special one,” Maicon.
Other players like Pedro Rodriguez, Sergio Busquets and Keita do their parts whenever they are included in the team. Pedro makes a good switch in the field and moves around the field to help Messi penetrate. His ambidextrous abilities really help him become
a threat to the goalkeepers as they are always confused about his stronger foot and he can shoot the ball with both his feet.
Besides Pedro, Barcelona have a sensational midfielder, Seydou Keita. The former Sevilla player really helps the team with his wonderful passing and finishing abilities. He moves forward from the centre of the pitch to help the team score a few goals. Last
season, Keita scored seven goals in only four games, but later he was injured and could not perform for his team to lead them to victory. However, he did show great form after his return in the Blaugrana jersey. Seydou Keita tries to become a consistent threat
to the oppositions’ defenders as he moves forward to take long ranged efforts, even though they are not really a part of the Barcelona style-of-play.
After Keita, comes the “genius” Spaniard, Sergio Busquets. Even though many criticize him in his defensive midfield role and many call him a cheat and a diver, he is a complete genius. Sergio Busquets might not be like Yaya Toure, who used to move forward
to help the strikers score goals, but Busquets is given another task which is far more important than scoring goals.
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