FC Barcelona have made a big effort to strengthen their squad this summer, making it more competitive with the intention of maintaining the streak of positive results in the last campaigns.
Awaiting the arrival of the fourth forward and a replacement goalkeeper for Claudio Bravo, Barça have incorporated four players: Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes.
The first three played in the first game of the La Liga campaign against Betis at the Camp Nou.
Umtiti and Denis were starters and Digne came on for the final quarter of an hour.
DENIS SUAREZ
The Galician midfielder had the difficult role of replacing Andres Iniesta in the La Liga bow.
The Barça club captain is the soul of the team and his presence gives the side a magical touch.
Denis, however, showed that the fans can be calm because when Iniesta is missing, the team will not necessarily be too impacted by his absence.
In the first matches of pre-season, the youth team product played on the right, forming a good understanding with Leo Messi, and showing that his years with Barça B served to learn the club's philosophy of play.
Against Betis, Denis Suarez lined up on the left side of central midfield, and read the game to perfection, giving the team the required rhythm of play at every moment and looking to combine with the front three, especially Arda Turan.
Luis Enrique gave him some rest with 20 minutes remaining in the contest.
LUCAS DIGNE
The French full-back was used by Luis Enrique in the two Spanish Super Cup games, replacing the injured Jeremy Mathieu in the first-leg and starting the second-leg.
However, come the opening league match, the Asturian coach chose Jordi Alba, despite the fact that the Spain international had only played 30 minutes this summer. The motive seems to be that Alba has the team's style more ingrained.
That said, Digne was handed the last 15 minutes, and in that short space of time he again displayed his offensive qualities, with one effort saved by Antonio Adan's outstretched leg.
His adaption to the team's defensive movements still requires a little time.
SAMUEL UMTITI
One of the big surprises of the start of the season.
The ex-Lyon centre-back has shown the qualities that the technical staff had been searching for in these recent months as they scoured the market for a top class defender.
Against Betis, Umtiti seemed like he had been playing at Barça for a long time.
It was his first match alongside Gerard Pique and they seemed to combine perfectly at the back.
The French player showed his best attributes: pace, anticipation and the ability to play the ball out from the back.
He even dared to enter into midfield at times to create a superiority.
Umtiti will be challenging Javier Mascherano for the place alongside Pique in the Barça side.
Something that people doubted when he first joined the club.
Awaiting the arrival of the fourth forward and a replacement goalkeeper for Claudio Bravo, Barça have incorporated four players: Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes.
The first three played in the first game of the La Liga campaign against Betis at the Camp Nou.
Umtiti and Denis were starters and Digne came on for the final quarter of an hour.
DENIS SUAREZ
The Galician midfielder had the difficult role of replacing Andres Iniesta in the La Liga bow.
The Barça club captain is the soul of the team and his presence gives the side a magical touch.
Denis, however, showed that the fans can be calm because when Iniesta is missing, the team will not necessarily be too impacted by his absence.
In the first matches of pre-season, the youth team product played on the right, forming a good understanding with Leo Messi, and showing that his years with Barça B served to learn the club's philosophy of play.
Against Betis, Denis Suarez lined up on the left side of central midfield, and read the game to perfection, giving the team the required rhythm of play at every moment and looking to combine with the front three, especially Arda Turan.
Luis Enrique gave him some rest with 20 minutes remaining in the contest.
LUCAS DIGNE
The French full-back was used by Luis Enrique in the two Spanish Super Cup games, replacing the injured Jeremy Mathieu in the first-leg and starting the second-leg.
However, come the opening league match, the Asturian coach chose Jordi Alba, despite the fact that the Spain international had only played 30 minutes this summer. The motive seems to be that Alba has the team's style more ingrained.
That said, Digne was handed the last 15 minutes, and in that short space of time he again displayed his offensive qualities, with one effort saved by Antonio Adan's outstretched leg.
His adaption to the team's defensive movements still requires a little time.
SAMUEL UMTITI
One of the big surprises of the start of the season.
The ex-Lyon centre-back has shown the qualities that the technical staff had been searching for in these recent months as they scoured the market for a top class defender.
Against Betis, Umtiti seemed like he had been playing at Barça for a long time.
It was his first match alongside Gerard Pique and they seemed to combine perfectly at the back.
The French player showed his best attributes: pace, anticipation and the ability to play the ball out from the back.
He even dared to enter into midfield at times to create a superiority.
Umtiti will be challenging Javier Mascherano for the place alongside Pique in the Barça side.
Something that people doubted when he first joined the club.
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