Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has won his first 16 games that he has started for the club

Samuel Umtiti has emerged as the surprising difference between success and failure at Barcelona this season.

When you list the game changers in the Barcelona ranks, there are plenty of candidates that come to mind; ones who could make all the difference when it really matters.

Lionel Messi's goalscoring exploits are well documented, Luis Suarez is looking as deadly as ever, while no player in Catalonia has weighed in with more assists than Neymar this campaign.

Umtiti has won all 17 games in which he has featured for Barcelona in La Liga. They have won two from 11 without him (as at April 1. 2017)

But none of Barca's superstar attacking triumvirate has quite the same effect as Umtiti. The former Lyon defender has enjoyed a remarkable success rate since arriving at the Nou Camp, making him as crucial as anyone in Barca's quest to retain their La Liga crown.

Barcelona have won all 16 La Liga games in which Umtiti has started, but in his absence, have managed just two wins out of 11. Three of those games culminated in defeat - including the shock 2-1 loss at Deportivo two weeks ago.

The solution to such an out-of-character defeat in Galicia? Well bring Umititi back in for the visit of Valencia of course, and the result was never in doubt, as Los Che were beaten 4-2 at the Nou Camp.

Over the course of the last three seasons, encompassing two years with Lyon, Umtiti's teams have won 67.9 per cent of their games when he has been playing and just 18.1 per cent without him.

Umtiti has been deployed in both a back four and back three at Barcelona this season, with a variety of team-mates alongside him, but he has not looked fazed by the constant upheaval.

Highlights of Deportivo de La Coruna's win over Barcelona in La Liga Highlights of Deportivo de La Coruna's win over Barcelona in La Liga

"To be honest I am surprised by Umtiti's quick adaption," Luis Enrique said earlier in the season. "It's a position where the club has always had handicaps."

What has endeared Umtiti to his manager most is just how competent the Frenchman has been on the ball. In fact, Umtiti's pass success rate of 93.3 per cent is the best in the entire division.

It hasn't been as completely flawless in all competitions, however, as Umtiti was exposed by Paris Saint-Germain all too easily in the 4-0 loss in the French capital, as well as in the 2-1 first-leg defeat by Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey last 16.

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