Ivan
Rakitic said as much in an interview with
Marca, via
Sport,
with the Croatian explaining that the rest of the team must work
themselves to the bone to create space and opportunities for the stellar
trio up front:
Many people say that it is very easy to play with them. I don't
agree. They are players of a different level and, if we play for them,
it is because they have earned it but that does not mean it's easy - and
if I have to run 5,000 kilometres for one of them to have their best
moment, I will do it. We do it.
Arda
Turan discovered that on Wednesday night, when he finally made his Barcelona debut after a six-month freeze-out, thanks to the
FIFA transfer ban that stopped both he and
Aleix Vidal being registered after they signed for the club last summer.
Turan and Vidal were registered on Monday and both featured against
Espanyol in Barcelona's 4-1 win in the
Copa del Rey last-16 first leg.
Former
Sevilla defender Vidal came on for Dani
Alves from the bench, while Arda started in place of
Rakitic.
Doubtless, he will have to play himself into Luis Enrique's first
team to get regular minutes, but this was a good start for the Turk.
The other 10 players on the field with him had all started the Champions League final in May.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Arda is capable of hard work and graft and he showed it in this match.
One of the reasons Lucho wanted to bring him to Barcelona from
Atletico Madrid, for €34 million plus add-ons, is his work ethic.
Under Diego
Simeone, Arda added that side to his game, his game for
Atletico a combination of sweat and skill; the perfect combination to sit behind Barcelona's trident.
It will take time to bed in, but Arda got off to a good start against
Espanyol, a crunching encounter, with the Catalan derby a tricky match in which to make your debut.
He will rue one moment in the second half when he missed a chance to
score, but his overall performance level was good and his substitution
for
Rakitic
was not an indictment on his performance levels or fitness, just a nod
by Enrique to show the Croatian he is still a piece of Barcelona's
puzzle.
The longer the game went on, the more comfortable Arda looked,
beginning to come deep into midfield to get the ball before springing
forward.
David Ramos/Getty Images
One such burst saw him lurch ahead of
Messi, who rolled the ball forward for him, but Arda's shot was beaten to safety at his near post by Pau Lopez.
Barcelona signed Arda knowing that occasionally his temper can flare up, as seen when he threw his boot at a linesman during a
Copa del Rey clash with the Catalan side last season.
And he managed to rile Pau just before half-time, running in too
close to the goalkeeper's head for comfort, while he was on the ground.
Arda scuttled off to safety as Suarez confronted Pau on behalf of the
midfielder. Although at the time it was a moment of high tension,
events in the second half superseded it when two
Espanyol players were sent off, and a scuffle broke out in the tunnel, per
Sport.
PAU BARRENA/Getty Images
The Turkish star left the field with Barcelona 3-1 up, and
Neymar’s
late goal means it’s highly likely the Catalans will go through to the
quarter-finals of the competition, with much less pressure on the second
leg of this tie at
Cornella next week.
Arda was quietly confident on his debut, doing what he needed to and
beginning the process of adapting to life at his dream club. He has a
lot further to go, but this was a good base to build from.
Manchester
United and Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern have been drawn to the
European papers this afternoon, which state the Premier League duo have
received a huge boost in their transfer plans.Both Premier League sides have held long-term interest in the German
midfielder, with United’s interest stretching back to this time last
year and links with Liverpool intensifying after former Borussia
Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp moved to Anfield.
