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#1 Barcelona's midfield dictated the tempo of the game
In their last game against Slavia, Barca did not have control of the game. Slavia were counter-attacking at will, and their midfield was failing to cope. Ernesto Valverde played Frenkie de Jong in the deepest role on Saturday and Sergi Roberto played ahead of him. Arthur also made a return to the lineup.
All three players cover a lot of ground, and that helped against Celta. Roberto worked hard in the advanced role, and he had more touches than anyone in the game. De Jong is better than Busquets in the defensive sense in the deeper role, and it showed.
The Dutchman is much more athletic, which allows him to track pacy players like Sisto. Arthur's return was a welcome one, as he gives control in possession. De Jong looks like the only assured starter at this stage in midfield, and the others will rival for places in the coming weeks.
