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#3 Junior Firpo settling in at slowly but surely at Barcelona
Jordi Alba hobbled off injured in the Champions League opener against Borussia Dortmund. Valverde did not have any backup on the bench, and he had to improvise in that game. But unlike last season, he has a specialist left-back he can turn to. New recruit Junior Firpo has started all the games since, and he is settling into his new club well.
His first game was a 2-0 loss against Granada, and the former Real Betis man did not impress. Firpo has started two more games since then. He looked assured against Villarreal in midweek, and Getafe saw his best performance yet. Firpo attempted two tackles and made 1 interception. He took his goal well, which sealed the win for Barcelona.
Jordi Alba has been a mainstay at left-back for Barcelona over the years. But the Spaniard is on the decline in terms of his physicality and injuries, and Firpo stands on the cusp. If the Getafe game is anything to go by, he could take up the mantle for years to come at Camp Nou.
