A new kind of challenge awaits Pau Cubarsi at Barcelona this season | OneFootball

The departure of Inigo Martinez is definitely a loss for Barcelona from a sporting perspective. However, on an individual level, it is a loss that even Pau Cubarsi may feel. For the young Spaniard, the veteran defender was a great partner in defense.

Now, however, Cubarsi is left with a new partner in defense and a new kind of responsibility as well. Instead of getting to play on his more natural right side, he will now be expected to play as a left-sided centre-back to accommodate other players such as Ronald Araujo.

Pau Cubarsi now expected to lead at Barcelona

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

However, as highlighted by SPORT, Cubarsi must now step up in the coming games, and do so as a leader in defense. While he is being played as a left-sided centre-back, he possesses the right kind of tactical awareness and technical ability on the ball to make it work.

Even during the recent game against RCD Mallorca, the youngster managed to help maintain a clean sheet and had an impressive 92% passing success rate. With Martinez now gone, moreover, he will be the one leading the team’s offside trap as well.

While the numbers have been promising, with this being the third game in a row in which Barça has managed to keep a clean sheet, the team is yet to face a true test. Como, despite looking promising, could not thwart the defense that much, and Mallorca was unfortunate enough to play with nine men for much of the game.

Yet to be properly tested by opponents

Once the real tests start coming up, that is when the solidity of this Barcelona defense and Cubarsi’s ability to lead it will be brought into question. Fortunately, the youngster has proven time and time again that he is a special kind of talent, and these are exactly the kind of tests that he has passed with flying colours before and will look to do so again.

As for his leadership, that remains unquestionable as well. While he might not shout as much as others or speak a lot, Cubarsi’s words reportedly hold a lot of weight when he does decide to speak up.

For that reason, and other positive factors, he is the right player to inherit Martinez’s number ‘5’ shirt as well. His official debut in that number went smoothly against Mallorca, but he will definitely have more opportunities to prove his worth in the weeks and months to come.