Jordi Alba or Alejandro Balde? Barcelona needs one or the other

Breakthrough season. After the first bad game of the season against Rayo Vallecano, Alejandro Balde was given a chance on the left side of the defence. A brave decision by Xavi, which went very well. Still, we can’t say that Jordi Alba belongs on the sidelines. The two are different in their ability and impact on the game. Which one should get priority in the line-up? It depends on the opponents and their system.

Jordi Alba’ s strengths are movement without the ball and combination. If we watch this defender on the left side of the pitch, he is always on the move. He’s very good at timing his runs behind the opposition defence.

On the other hand, Alejandro Balde excels with his dribbling and his ability to carry the ball. In addition, he is extremely quick both with and without the ball. He can stand up to his opponent, get around him or deal with a challenge. In addition, he is very strong in both offensive and defensive one-on-one battles.

If Barcelona encounters defending teams in a compact low block, it requires players who can get the opponent out of their comfortable position. In fact, they need to disrupt their defensive structure at some point.

In such scenarios, Alba is the best bet. Alba averages 7.14 progressive passes per game. That number makes him one of the best left backs ever.

By comparison, Balde averages 1.11 progressive passes per game. His older teammate is simply better at moving the ball forward through the pass, which is essential in a limited space.

He’s also better at receiving the ball in the final third of the field or penalty area, which can be seen in the amount of touches he has in different zones. This is due to his movement without the ball.

Balde is a much more valuable asset when the Catalan big club encounters a team that attacks high. In fact, the youngster is a much better dribbler than Alba. He has as many as five times the number of successful dribbles.

The best way to gain numerical superiority against high-block teams is to have good dribblers. It means less decision space for the opponent, plus a successful dribbler on defense can free up other dangerous space for his teammates.

Source: Twitter