BILBAO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 10: teamphoto of FC Barcelona (L-R) Marc Andre Ter Stegen of FC Barcelona, Clement Lenglet of FC Barcelona, Nelson Semedo of FC Barcelona, Ivan Rakitic of FC Barcelona, Sergio Busquets of FC Barcelona, Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, Sergi Roberto of FC Barcelona, Arturo Vidal of FC Barcelona, Philippe Coutinho of FC Barcelona, Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona during the La Liga Santander match between Athletic de Bilbao v FC Barcelona at the Estadio San Mames on February 10, 2019 in Bilbao Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s midfield lacked creativity against Bilbao and the team suffered because of that.

The trip to San Mames ended up being less than fruitful as Barcelona dropped points and were reliant on Marc-Andre ter Stegen to ensure they came away with a point. They struggled to deal with Athletic Bilbao’s high press in the first half and then were unable to break down their stubborn defensive shape in the second half. The lack of creativity in the midfield played a large part in these offensive struggles.

Barcelona were without Jordi Alba for this match which has to be acknowledged due to how important he is in getting behind the opposition defence down the left flank. Nelson Semedo just wasn’t able to offer the same threat as Alba due to playing out of position.

Arthur was the main absentee because he aids ball progression by receiving the ball in tight areas and circulating it effectively. His positional intelligence is pivotal due to how it keeps open passing lanes and ensures forward players, such as Lionel Messi, don’t have to drop deep too often to receive possession. The Brazilian’s importance to the team is remarkable considering this is his first season at the club, but his skillset suits the club perfectly.

In the 23-year-old’s absence, Ernesto Valverde opted for Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal as the midfield trio. The Chilean was really poor as he was constantly out of position and seemed unsure of his responsibilities. Rakitic offered little going forward as his lack of press resistance showed against Bilbao’s man-marking. Busquets was forced into dropping between the centre-backs so that there was an extra passing option at the back and the full-backs could play higher up the pitch.

The midfield weren’t helped by the ineffectiveness of Philippe Coutinho as well as quiet showings from Luis Suarez and Messi. Valverde needs to use a different trio against Valladolid, though. Sergi Samper, Carles Alena and Coutinho are the only other realistic options for midfield, so Valverde is limited in this regard. Alena struggled to have an impact when he came on for Vidal, but he should start the next match. He combines well with others and makes intelligent runs off the ball.

Swapping out Vidal for Alena would be the logical move, although Rakitic needs a rest. A midfield of Busquets, Vidal and Alena would be prone to the counter, though, which means Valverde has a conundrum to solve. Rotation is important but they can’t afford to drop more points in the league so risks shouldn’t be taken with the selection.

Ousmane Dembele‘s innovation, supreme dribbling ability and trickery should give life to the attack assuming he comes in for Coutinho or gives Messi a rest so he can get back to full fitness ahead of the Lyon clash. A strong performance is needed to end the run of draws and put some confidence back into the team.