"But in a rather peculiar statistic, it appears Balde has yet to finish a single game for Barcelona this season. He is, in fact, Flick's favourite substitution this season. Across La Liga and the Champions League, Balde has started nine games (having missed five due to injury), and in all of those matches, he has been substituted every single time."
"The pattern has been consistent. He played 68 minutes in Mallorca, 76 against Levante, and 78 in Vallecas. Even after returning from injury and regaining full fitness, the trend continued: 76 minutes against Girona and 75 against Olympiacos. He also didn't complete the full match in El Clasico. Hansi Flick decided to substitute him in stoppage time, seven of the eleven added minutes had elapsed, with Gerard Martin coming on."
"Balde has yet to finish a single game for Barcelona this season. He is, in fact, Flick's favourite substitution this season. Curiously, this situation is not unique to Balde and appears to be restricted to the left-back position. Martin, the team's other left-back, also hasn't played a full match. In the eight matches he started due to Balde's injury, the youngster was also always substituted."
Barcelona are concerned with the form of fullbacks Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, with Balde drawing particular attention due to the lack of alternatives. Balde remains the undisputed number one left-back under Hansi Flick despite a dip in form. Balde has started nine matches across La Liga and the Champions League, missing five through injury, and has been substituted in every start. His playing time has included 68 minutes in Mallorca, 76 against Levante, 78 in Vallecas, 76 versus Girona and 75 against Olympiacos, and late substitutions in El Clasico and Club Brugge. The pattern extends to Gerard Martin, who also never completed full matches in eight starts.
Read at Barca Universal
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