Though Gerard Piqué and Sergi Roberto are yet to receive the medical green light, they should be back very soon. That means that, for the first time since he took over Barça, Ronald Koeman will have all of his defensive options available. That has made many fans wonder how we will line up in our current formation. Let us go through all the possible options.
First of all, what would be everyone’s ideal position in the 3 at the back? For me, Ronald Araújo and Gerard Piqué should play at the heart of the defence, Lenglet and Umtiti on the left, Sergi Roberto and Oscar Mingueza on the right. That leaves us with Sergiño Dest, Jordi Alba and Junior Firpo as the wingbacks, Francisco Trincao being capable of playing there too.
The Sergi Roberto question
Sergi Roberto’s spot is perhaps the most questionable one. He can play as a wingback, but I don’t personally consider him ideal for the position. Defensively, though, he is very reliable, and he has played as a right centre-back under Quique Setien, with relative success. From there he could provide the offensive support that Koeman’s asking for. Ronald Araújo, meanwhile, isn’t suited for the wider positions, so he’ll have to fight with Piqué (and potentially de Jong) for the central spot.
The center of the defense
The Mingueza – Frenkie – Lenglet trio has worked well, but there are some nuances that need to be taken into consideration. Despite his ubiquity, de Jong performs better in midfield. Mingueza, on the other hand, still has many aspects of his game that have to be polished, so Sergi Roberto could play a bit more than Oscar once he’s back.
It’s great to see that everything’s coming together now in terms of squad depth. The extra competition in defence should definitely help us get the most out of each player. If you ask me, Mingueza – Araújo – Lenglet is what I would go for in el Clasico. But we definitely have various options to choose from.
