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Ridiculed by quite a few fans for two seasons in a row, Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic’s return to form provided a huge boost for Ernesto Valverde, who is attempting to resuscitate the Blaugrana into the main-line for Champions League contention.
The former Sevilla captain was instrumental in Barcelona’s treble-winning campaign back in 2014 under Luis Enrique. Since that brilliant season under Lucho, Rakitic’s form was drastically affected by unusual rotations and changes in tactics.
With the on-fire trio of Messi-Suarez-Neymar under his control, Luis Enrique tilted the fulcrum of the Barcelona system towards the offensive line, against the traditions of a superlative midfield at the club. The famed Tiki-Taka style of Barcelona diminished over the time and affected the performances of the Croat.
With Messi covering for Neymar's mazy runs and the immense amount of touches the Brazilian was getting under Enrique, the right flank was almost all over Rakitic's shoulder. Neymar contributed very little defensively, so the midfield was disorganised due to their defensive duties.
The right-back problem aggravated problems at the Camp Nou after the departure of Dani Alves, enforcing additional responsibilities upon Ivan to cover virtually almost the whole right flank. Andres Iniesta’s injury problems added to the already intensified list of problems for the manager.
Linked with a move away for the Nou Camp after arguably his worst season, the change in staff at the Catalan club helped Rakitic continue his career at the club of his dreams. Ernesto Valverde’s faith in Rakitic kept him in the starting lineup despite strong competition from the likes of Denis Suarez and Sergi Roberto.
Nelson Semedo’s introduction at the club resolved the right-back problem and Neymar’s departure assisted Rakitic’s revival of form.
Now back at his natural central midfield position under the Txingurri, Rakitic is becoming a central figure in carrying the ball between the defence and the offence of the Catalans.
Instrumental in their attacks and the first line of defence against opposition breaks, the Croat made his mark early in the season with a significant improvement in his passing rates. Feeding the ball to the False 9, Rakitic has been strong in front of the goal with his already infamous rocket-powered shot.
"Soccer is simple, but it is difficult to play simple." - Johan Cruyff
Entrusted with a simple yet crucial task of feeding the ball to talismanic forward Lionel Messi, Rakitic makes sure he does the simple things best. Perks of keeping Rakitic in the lineup come automatically for Barcelona as he also takes over the long-free kick responsibilities and doesn't hesitate to shoot once given the opportunity.
It has now become a win-win situation for the club and the player and Rakitic is providing the necessary midfield strength to Barcelona as they are keen to improve their squad depth like local rivals Real Madrid. The Croat signed a contract extension only recently to make him one of the highest paid players at FC Barcelona.
The immense work-rate of Ivan Rakitic has played a significant role in maintaining the rhythm of Barcelona midfield under Ernesto Valverde's high pressing gameplay. Pressing the opposition players and tracking back in case of counter-attacks, Rakitic has a higher stamina than other Barcelona midfielders, namely Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. The high pressing gameplay has reaped good results for Barcelona, especially in the pre-season and high stamina rates are essential for the perfect execution of such a game plan.
Nicknamed Rocketic by the Cules, he has arguably made his way back into the hearts of the fans. Getting on the ball a lot more than 2016, the Swiss-born midfielder is back with his natural play-style after major tactical changes under Ernesto Valverde who has swiftly transformed the system from the ‘trio’ back to the traditional midfield of the Azulgranas.
Forming a tested partnership with Captain Andres Iniesta and the reliable Busquets, Rakitic’s work-rate complements the relatively lower work-rates of his companions and would be a key element in Barcelona’s bid for silverware this season, and more to come.
