The past few days have been pretty hectic for new Barcelona arrival Joao Cancelo.
His loan signing from Manchester City was only made official on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, he posed for photographs at his presentation. Before Sunday evening’s kick-off at Osasuna, he had trained only once with his new team-mates.
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Against Osasuna, Xavi decided to keep the combination he used against Villarreal last week on the right flank. Sergi Roberto started at right-back, with Lamine Yamal on the right wing. There had been doubts over who would be picked, because Raphinha was available again after suspension and Cancelo was already in the matchday squad.
Yamal has started the season impressively and deserved his spot ahead of Raphinha but on Sunday, he had a quieter game. Every time he received the ball, Osasuna’s defence quickly doubled up to prevent him from going one-on-one. And with Roberto struggling at the back, the 16-year-old was often called on for support in defence. At times, it seemed as if he was playing as a right-back.
Against Villarreal the week before, the right flank had suffered most from opposition attacks, and Roberto had been left exposed. It happened again against Osasuna. The more the minutes ticked by, the more one began to sense that Cancelo was going to get his debut.
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Barca have struggled to find a good fit at right-back in recent years. Since Dani Alves first left the club in 2016, Roberto has been the player who has most often featured in that role. Luis Enrique decided to try him out as he had no place for him in the middle of the park, and it worked for a while, but his natural position is as a midfielder.
Following Alves’ departure, the club also tried Nelson Semedo, Sergino Dest and Hector Bellerin. None of them made the spot his own in the style of Jordi Alba, and now Alejandro Balde, on the opposite side.
By the 58th minute against Osasuna, with the score tied at 1-1, it was clear that the right flank needed changes. On came Ferran Torres — who has also been in great form this early season — as Yamal was replaced. And on came Cancelo, too, with Roberto making way.
Cancelo made a very good impression in his Barca debut. The way the game was going at the time, he had to prioritise his defensive duties, although his ability in attack is well known. He also drifted inside at times — another of his strengths — with Xavi seeking superiority in midfield.
The Portugal international made a solid contribution, not to taking too many risks, but there was a glimpse of what he can bring to the team going forward when he crossed with the outside of his boot for Robert Lewandowski, who almost converted.
With a little over 10 minutes left to play, Barca’s other deadline-day signing Joao Felix also came on for his debut. It is early days for both, but just one training session was enough to convince Xavi that these were two players who would be ready to go from day one, and who could help change the face of the game when they were needed.
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“Their involvement and attitude stands out above the game,” he said after Barca’s 2-1 victory in Pamplona. “They have been very supportive. They have worked for the team and this is the base that is non-negotiable. They can give us many variables.”
Lewandowski’s winning goal from the penalty spot shortly after Felix’s introduction might well have coloured Xavi’s mood when speaking about his new signings’ first impact, but there was plenty to be positive about.
At the full-time whistle, the two Joaos embraced each other with smiles on their faces. A child jumped out of the stands and ran over to hug Cancelo, who responded affectionately by hugging him back and giving him his shirt.
If it had not been for Ousmane Dembele’s departure making more funds available, Barca might well not have decided to strengthen at right-back, as Xavi wanted to prioritise the signing of a replacement for Sergio Busquets, and a high-level option in midfield to support the creative load on Pedri.
Barca’s manager wanted a right-back but in his mind, those were his two priorities. If a full-back was to arrive, he wanted it to be a player who could significantly improve the group, and the economic situation did not seem to allow for that.
As well as Roberto, Jules Kounde regularly played at right-back last season. The Frenchman expressed concerns over this but, after speaking with Xavi, understood that he would have to continue playing there.
Now he can finally settle at his natural spot in the heart of the defence, where he has already shown more leadership this season; the kind of leadership that was expected of him when he arrived. He celebrated his opening goal on Sunday with glee.
Xavi is celebrating, too. As are the Barca fans who have been looking longingly at the right-back position for years. In Cancelo, they look to finally have a natural fit.
(Top photos: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)