#2 Samuel Umtiti is learning well but Barcelona’s defence is not good enough without Pique
While the game was one of the most open games, with Valencia troubling Barcelona just as much as Barcelona troubled them, one Barcelona player who had a good game was Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman returned from injury midweek against Manchester City and has put in two decent performances, that would please Luis Enrique.
Umtiti made a few fantastic tackles at the back and held back to be the last man in the Barcelona defence. When Mascherano was beaten for pace, Umtiti was there to cut the attack. He showed the composure and maturity of an established player and looked like he was playing in the Barcelona side for ages.
Umtiti looks like the best choice to partner Gerrard Pique at the heart of Barcelona’s defence once the Catalan defender returns from injury.
