Apart from the signings from other clubs, the incorporation of Thiago Alcantara from the reserve team has been the third major 'signing' of the season. Thiago has played in all the League games, five as a starter.
He’s winning his place, game after game. Thiago Alcantara, thanks to his hard work,
commitment, and tactical discipline, in addition to his extraordinary talent as a footballer, is
surprising almost everyone. The son of the Brazilian World Cup winning international, Mazinho
(1994), is already, at the start of the season, a Guardiola fixture.
Full house in the League
Thiago Alcantara has played in all the League games so far. Against Villarreal,
Osasuna, Athletico Madrid, and Sporting he played all 90 minutes. In Anoeta he was also part of the
starting eleven, but was substituted on 61 minutes, while in Valencia, in the only game he
didn’t start, he came on for the last 30 minutes. In total, Thiago has played 449 minutes in
the League.
His first goal
It just so happened that Thiago scored Barça’s first goal in the League this season, at
the end of August. It was against Villarreal at the Camp Nou, and Thiago made it 1-0 with a left
foot shot from outside the area to beat goalkeeper Diego Lopez.
One game in the Champions League
In the Champions League, Thiago has played one whole match: the big win
against BATE in Minsk (0-5). However, he didn’t play against AC Milan at the Camp Nou in the
first game of the group stage. In the matches corresponding to the two Super Cups, Thiago played in
the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, in the Bernabeu, as a starter, in the first official game
of the season. He was replaced by Xavi after 57 minutes.
In many positions
He doesn’t play in just one position. On the contrary, his versatility and
adaptability make the young player a priceless wild-card. He can play anywhere in midfield, and can
also play up front. In recent matches he’s played wide on the left, but has made his classic
diagonal runs, to pressurise opposing defenders, or to help his teammates up front.