Barcelona’s young left-back Alex Balde has quietly emerged as an unsung hero for the Catalans this season. The 21-year-old has impressed everyone with his blistering pace and mazy dribbling. After a tough last season, Balde is back, and his evolution under Flick has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Alex Balde has been Barcelona’s Silent Hero
Alex Balde has quietly become an integral part of Hansi Flick’s system and is getting better with every game. After a bright debut season at Barca, Balde struggled last season under Xavi and suffered from injury issues. However, the youngster has transformed into a complete left-back this season under Flick. He has shown explosive attacking runs and also defensive solidity.
Balde has perfected his role in the team and honed his positioning and decision-making. The La Masia star has played more like a winger on Barca’s left. He can take on multiple players, and that is exciting as well as productive.
Balde’s Elite Dribbling and Chance Creation this Season
We have all been mesmerized by Balde’s dribbling this season. The left-back has shown the skill to get past four, five, or even six players on some occasions. This makes him a weapon that creates many chances. Let’s analyze his dribbling and creating stats this season.
Balde makes around 4.16 dribbles per 90 minutes, with a success rate of 49.40%. He also makes 1.15 key passes per game, with a great accuracy of 90.36%. This makes him a huge offensive threat and also a brilliant defender who tracks back quickly and is solid defensively.
Balde Has been the Architect of Barca’s Counter Attacks this Season
Nothing is more exciting than a blistering counter attack that ends in a goal. Alex Balde has been an important piece of this art for Barca this season. The left-back is not only lightening quick, but has the ability to explosively get past multiple players. This move has been decisive in key counter attacking moments for Barca this season.
For instance his goal in the Clasico this season showed his ability to catch defenders on the break and even finish chances. Yesterday against Benfica, once again, Balde’s amazing counter attacking gameplay ended with an assist from him to Raphinha. The 21-year-old’s combination of speed, skill and composure has made him a lethal counter attacking weapon for Barca.
Balde’s contributions have been crucial in Barcelona’s season, and let’s hope the youngster keeps delivering as we approach the final stretch of the season.