At Barcelona, few roles are as unforgiving as being the alternative to Lamine Yamal, and a certain Roony Bardghji lives that reality every day. The right wing is not just another position in Hansi Fl...
At Barcelona, few roles are as unforgiving as being the alternative to Lamine Yamal, and a certain Roony Bardghji lives that reality every day.
The right wing is not just another position in Hansi Flick’s system, it is the stage of one of world football’s brightest young stars.
Yamal wants the ball, wants the minutes, and almost always stays on the pitch unless injury or extreme caution intervenes.
As a result, opportunities for Bardghji are rare, brief, and often loaded with pressure.
The Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Athletic Club presented one of those rare openings.
Yamal had missed multiple training sessions in the days leading up to the match, prompting Flick to leave him out of the starting XI.
Rather than reshuffling the attack or experimenting with profiles out of position, the Barcelona coach decided to trust Bardghji in his natural role.
A move that paid off
Roony Bardghj was fantastic against Athletic Club. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The response could not have been clearer, as Bardghji did not play like a temporary replacement filling time.
He played like someone who understands the system, the responsibility, and the moment.
From his first involvement, the winger showed courage, intent, and rhythm. He demanded the ball, attacked his defender, and stretched Athletic’s back line in a way that kept Barcelona’s right flank alive and dangerous.
In just 72 minutes, Bardghji registered a goal with his only shot on target, delivered the assist for Ferran Torres’ opener, attempted four crosses, completed three successful dribbles, and finished with a pass accuracy of 91%.
What adds weight to this display is Bardghji’s situation at the club.
Since minutes have been limited this season, that lack of continuity has fuelled speculation about a possible loan move during the winter window.
Those rumours, however, have been firmly dismissed, as Flick has intervened to let everyone know that he does not want to lose squad depth and that he values what Bardghji offers when called upon.
Category: General Sports
