Debate about 26-year-old Barcelona defender’s fit in Hansi Flick’s schemes continues following BVB defeat | OneFootball

The arrival of Hansi Flick on the FC Barcelona bench accompanied a significant improvement in the performances of several Blaugrana players, with Raphinha, Inigo Martinez, Pedri, Marc Casado, and Robert Lewandowski being the most prominent examples of this phenomenon.

However, there were some other players whose importance in the team underwent a decline, and the most prominent player to suffer such a fate was the defender Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguayan is going through one of his most complicated phases since joining the Blaugrana club, as he used to be a clear starter in recent seasons, but now is struggling to adjust to his new reality and to the changed playing style that Flick has brought to the Barcelona team.

Although he was an untouchable part of the squad in recent years, SPORT notes how his performances and struggles this season have led to doubts about his ability to adapt to Flick’s requirements and have led to a deep debate about his status in the team.

Flick has not been shy in giving him the opportunities to recover his best level, but the Uruguayan has been able to impress mostly when he comes on the pitch from the bench. On the other hand, his performances have led to a lot of doubts when he starts, and this was quite clearly the case in the last two games, against Leganes and Dortmund, in which he started.

Within games, he faces most problems when syncing with the rest of the defensive line to keep up the offside trap, and also in playing the ball from the back. But in addition to these weaknesses, he has also shown his characteristic strengths, like winning duels and being a force to be reckoned with inside his box, to be weakening.

On the other hand, Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have both shown they are better fits for Flick’s style of play, while Eric Garcia has also been making improvements throughout the season. Thus, despite his previous status in the Barcelona team, Araujo does not have a lot of margin for error, and hopefully, he will be able to adjust to the team’s requirements soon.