Barca see the very best of Balde against Benfica
The left-back was brilliant
Barcelona’s Champions League win over Benfica on Tuesday saw Lamine Yamal and Raphinha rightly grab plenty of headlines for their superb performances.
One player who didn’t get as much spotlight, but also proved key, was Alejandro Balde with another stellar showing at left-back.
Alejandro Balde takes it past 4 #UCL pic.twitter.com/23gNTXqAoH
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 11, 2025
The 21-year-old has been getting better and better this season under Hansi Flick and admitted that Tuesday’s win was his best performance in a Barca shirt.
“I’m probably going through my best moment, and today was my best game,” he told reporters after grabbing his second Champions League assist of the season.
“I saw I had space. I’m fast and I took advantage of it to finish the play so we could score. I wish I could run like that for 90 minutes!”
The stats show that when it comes to dribbles in the Champions League, Balde was out on his own in the round of 16.
Alejandro Balde completed more successful dribbles than any other player in the #UCL round of 16 (8). ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/yjEoBsdZCl
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) March 13, 2025
Balde’s runs forwards are not just making opponents panic, they are creating space for Raphinha, helping Barca break lines and allowing the Catalans to break forward with real pace.
He’s also earning praise from opponents. Osasuna defender Juan Cruz shared his thoughts on Balde before last weekend’s postponed clash with Barca.
“He has shown what he is,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “He’s had an injury but he’s had an incredible career, he’s been incredible, how he goes on the attack! He’s a great full-back.”
A great full-back indeed and a player who is going places fast at Barca under Flick.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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