Alex Balde was officially ruled out of some crucial matches last week as he suffered a hamstring injury on 12 April. He has been out for a couple of weeks now, but his race to fitness has ignited some speculations. Now that the Inter clash is on the horizon, should Barca risk playing their star left-back? It’s the time of the season when the stakes are highest in every game. Is rushing him worth it or recklessness?
Is Balde’s Return a Desperate Gamble or Barca’s Champions League Lifeline?
Barca’s backline has looked incomplete without Balde in the last few games, especially his offensive prowess has been hugely missed. His backup Gerard Martin and teenager Hector Fort have filled in his spot decently but ‘decently’ is not enough for Barca right now. Inter’s side boasts of ruthless players like Lautaro Martinez and Dimarco who make marauding runs.
Balde has been a crucial force for Barca this season and his electric pace for this upcoming contest will prove crucial. The La Masia left back makes these amazing overlapping surges and recovery pace which basically transforms Barca’s left back entirely. But hamstring injuries are also no joke. Rushing Balde back after just 10 days of recovery is very risky. The last thing Flick would want is to get his star left-back reinjured only due to rushing him back before time.
Should Hansi Flick Protect Balde’s Future or Gamble for Glory?
Hansi Flick faces a tough ask right now. He has a major task coming Wednesday to defeat Inter not just by one or two goals, but by a big margin to secure the tie. This means he needs all of his attacking pieces in action in this first leg at home. Flick’s decision to play Balde might be crucial in deciding for the silverware. Will he apply a cautious approach and redeploy the inexperienced Martin once again?
I think yes. Martin has shown signs of promise in this recent clasico. At the defense, the left-back has proven to be rock solid. He just needs a bit of confidence going forward. While he will not be able to replicate what Balde does, playing Martin might be the only plan Flick goes with.
Gerard Martin vs. Inter’s Wingers: How will he cope?
Let’s discuss how Martin will play, if he is utlimately going to feature in this massive clash. The 23-year-old defender managed to hold his own against Rodrygo in the Copa del Rey finale. But Inter’s wingers bring something different to the table. Denzel Dumfries is very physical and Mattero Darmian is also a tactical nuisance. If Martin lacks the positional IQ of Balde, it might risk the offside trap and the Inter wingers will feast on it. Martin will need to hold his ground, time his runs back from highline and be quick to stop counters.
Another interesting thing we saw last game was Flick deploying Inigo Martinez as left back which went decently well. Flick has this option as well but that weakens the center a bit because Inigo’s central line breaking passes are always crucial. Nevertheless, Martin should be ready and bring his best to the tie, because he looks like the prime candidate to start on Wednesday.