Rafinha Dias faced significant challenges in Barcelona’s match against Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas Stadium, appearing far from his usual level. Despite his consistent commitment, his performance was noticeably mediocre, prompting coach Hans-Dieter Flick to substitute him during the match. Interestingly, this was not due to the pitch conditions or the weakness of his teammates, but rather due to other factors that influenced the course of the match.
The main reason was the poor defensive coverage on the opposite side, specifically the performance of left-back Alejandro Balde, who lacked a balance between defensive and offensive duties. This left Rafinha in a difficult position, forcing him to defend intensively and withdraw from his offensive role. Such defensive weakness drained Rafinha’s energy, which negatively impacted his influence on the field.
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Rafinha didn’t just observe this situation. In fact, he called on coach Flick to step in and hold Balde accountable for his lack of defensive discipline, especially since the team had to rely heavily on goalkeeper Juan Garcia to avoid defeat. The Brazilian believes that having a more conservative left-back, such as Gerard Martin, could allow him to focus on attacking without the added burden of defending, helping him maintain his fitness and performance levels.
Rafinha also believes that Balde has the potential to become one of the best players in his position in the world. However, he emphasizes the need to improve his defensive awareness to avoid a repeat of the match against Rayo Vallecano, which exhausted the team and forced his teammates to cover for him. This kind of performance not only hurts the Brazilian star but also disrupts Barcelona’s overall balance.
