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When Barcelona signed Rodri from Manchester City in the summer, it felt like a fit that was almost too good to be true.

The Spanish side had seemingly got the successor to Sergio Busquets that they’d long been chasing and done so at a fair price too. A few months on, there are now some questioning the midfielder.

While the midfielder has enjoyed a solid start to life in Spain, making 14 appearances and starting 11 times across all competitions, it has not been quite as smooth as some would have liked.

That was certainly the case against Aston Villa, as he was substituted off at half time after experiencing discomfort in his leg. Medical examinations the following day confirmed a hamstring issue.

But the bigger issue for Barcelona, was that his departure and the subsequent change saw the Catalans gain more control.

Mind-blowing moment

That’s not what is supposed to happen. And for journalist Lluís Carreras, it was all a bit mind-blowing.

“Barça actually had more control without Rodri—it’s hard to believe,” he told Cadena SER program ‘El Bar’.

“I liked the team; they pressed well. It completely blew my mind—the situation with Rodri.

“You have the best positional defensive midfielder for creating those kinds of scenarios. He’s so accustomed to it. And yet the team had more control without him.”

“When they’re winning, the area where Hansi Flick still needs to improve is controlling the game through possession—the chances will come eventually.”

Aston Villa praise

The midfield battle was a particularly interesting one in the game. While Aston Villa were beaten 3-0 eventually, the scoreline did not accurately reflect their performance.

Indeed, Unai Emery’s side had spent most of the game succeeding in shutting down the likes of Pedri and Rodri in central midfield to great success.

Carreras saw that in action, and believes Aston Villa exposed an issue Barcelona need to address moving forwards.

“There are teams like Aston Villa that target our vital organs; everyone sticks to Pedri and Rodri. I assume you have the antidotes and tools to address this,” he added.

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