For all the headlines of Raphinha’s impact on Barcelona’s press, Pedri’s mastery over the game tempo, and Lamine Yamal’s persistent unbalancing of the opponent’s defense, Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid can be credited as much to the role players as the stars. In a system under Hansi Flick that requires precision, timing, and excellent chemistry, Barça’s best performances this season have come alongside the surprising impacts of unlikely heroes.
Robert Lewandowski had one of the worst penalty misses of his career and Pau Cubarsí struggled to find his footing, but their performances were almost offset by the calm and assured showing from Gerard Martín and Eric García.
Bent But Not Broken
Both Gerard Martín and Eric García committed one error that led to a negative outcome against Atleti. For Eric, it was failing to track Álex Baena on Atlético Madrid’s goal through the middle. That added responsibility to one of the double pivots, usually Frenkie de Jong, was explained using the interactive tactics board on The Barcelona Podcast (breakdown starts at 3:42):
For Gerard Martín, the issue came in stoppage time of the first half. Giuliano Simeone found wide open grass on Barça’s left side with Alejandro Balde pushing forward. That left Gerard Martín to defend the counter with a lot of space to make up. A centre-back in his youth, the 23-year-old is still getting back up to speed with his positioning in the middle, and this was another piece of evidence of that. With Simeone off to the races, Gerard Martín came flying in and got the thickest yellow Culers have seen this season. He got just enough of the ball to save him from an instant red, because Simeone might have also been clear in on net.
To their credit, neither let those mistakes prevent them from playing the full 90 minutes and playing near-perfect football for the rest of the encounter. A more conservative manager may have yanked Gerard Martín at halftime, but the trust that Hansi Flick has instilled in his players appears to be contagious.
Eric García’s Redemption Arc
When Eric García left for Manchester City just days before his 17th birthday, Culers who had watched him at youth level in La Masia knew that Barcelona could be burnt by saying goodbye to one of their best defenders in the academy. The teenager at the time decided to leave for a fee, and the club was more than willing to fund other moves for the first team with the cash.
When he returned home as a 21-year-old, he was coming off a season under Pep Guardiola where he made just 12 appearances with Manchester City. The prior year was better with 20 appearances, but clearly it was time for a change of scenery. His homecoming coincided with a period of squad instability in Catalonia, and he was thrust into an important role that he seemed ill-preprared for. Two seasons ago he left for Girona on loan, and that is where everything clicked.
Essential Versatility
Last season under Hansi Flick, his versatility was important. He played 45 total matches in four different positions, mainly as a substitute and mainly at centre-back. This season he has already featured 20 times in those same four positions (CB, RB, DM, LB), but now he is fixture in Flick’s XI. The 24-year-old has started in 87% of Flick’s line-ups in La Liga, playing 85% of the total minutes. His five Champions League appearances this season are similar, 80% as a starter and 81% of total minutes.
Before his loan to Girona, all those minutes would have exposed him for his shortcomings. This season, his ability to stabilize the side with confident passing, improved defensive awareness, and thankless work rate has set the table for the likes of Pedri and Lamine Yamal to flourish. Plus, the stats back it up. He hasn’t collected a single card and he’s in decent percentiles in all defensive categories except dribbled past, but that is largely due to him also playing minutes in the midfield where that is more common.
Gerard Martín Keeps Pushing the Envelope
In the case of Gerard Martín, he has become a mystery in all the right ways for Culers. He is left-footed, giving him an edge to grab that starting spot if Flick deems it necessary. He may still be figuring out his positioning, but he handled Julián Alvarez with more efficiency than most would have expected.
Some Culers started nicknaming him “Gerard Maldini” out of sarcasm, but now it is said with some tongue-in-cheek reverence. As Real Madrid continues to have trouble in their locker room, it’s telling that the backbone of a big win against Atlético Madrid came from FC Barcelona’s own backyard. Seven of Barça’s starters were Catalan-born, and Pedri’s lifelong fandom almost gives him honorary status. Raphinha’s intensity and manic defense of the badge should also be considered, despite him being born a world away.
All of that passion for the crest came through in the victory over Atlético Madrid, and it was bolstered by two of Flick’s forgotten soldiers. Eric García and Gerard Martín likely won’t be on the plane to the World Cup in the summer, but their ever-growing importance in Hansi Flick’s side should not be taken for granted.
