Marc Bernal: The Anchor Returns
Marc Bernal is the future. And without Pedri, can he aid Hansi Flick's Barcelona in the coming month?
When new training videos of Marc Bernal with the Barcelona first team surfaced around the beginning of the current season, it was confirmation of perhaps the best news of the entire summer.
Amidst the usual chatter of transfers and potential departures, some more surprising than others (yes, Dro, we're looking at you), the return to action of the gem who suffered a serious injury last season signals a potentially crucial shift in Barcelona’s tactical landscape. Now more than ever.
Which brings us to the big point at hand. Pedri is injured. Again. And now it will be up to Hansi Flick to somehow navigate the upcoming month without Barcelona's most important midfielder.
But is this the chance for Marc Bernal to show his worth?
Let's dive in.
The Profile of the Hybrid Architect
To understand Marc Bernal is to understand a player who essentially blends multiple elite midfield archetypes into a single, imposing frame. And that is what makes this analysis so exciting in the first place. At over 1.90 metres tall, the 18-year-old left-footed defensive midfielder possesses a physicality that is truly uncommon for a La Masia graduate pivot.
Being a strong player capable of imposing his frame in duels is immediately evident and refreshing, yes, but even more crucially, sorely needed in the current squad. For that reason, he represents a unique profile that essentially combines high ball-winning ability and duelling power with extraordinary technique. In other words, just what the good doctor had ordered.
Yet, his frame does not translate into stiffness. In fact, I would go as far as to say that despite his size, he has the capacity to dribble and beat rivals using changes of direction, suggesting his hips are far from fixed or slow, and akin to exactly someone like Pedri, for example, albeit not to such an extreme extent. No one, after all, is exactly like Pedri.
Domagoj Kostanjsak
But it's not only the physicality of his profile that should bring a smile to our face; it is also the technique layered upon it. He looks comfortable under pressure, exhibiting clean passing and winning his duels. His control of the ball is so sound that, during his time with Barça Atlètic, he was noted for losing the ball only an average of 0.32 times per game, one of the best metrics in the Spanish third division.
Naturally, given his role and profile, Bernal is often compared to Sergio Busquets for his calmness and body shape when receiving passes, as well as his suitability as a natural single pivot. However, his resemblance to Rodri is perhaps more apt, specifically concerning his ball carrying, ground coverage, and mobility. He also shares similarities with Thiago Motta in movement and technical aspects.
Here, we can talk about the fact that he possesses a notable sense of timing, placing him among players who don't require many instructions and can knit everything together as they move. This timing is essential in allowing him to use deception and his long legs to escape pressure from various angles.
But he is not merely a recycler; he must be a penetrator too. And fortunately, this is where Bernal shines. He is a great line-breaker in his own right, evidenced by his debut match where he registered 10 vertical passes that broke opponent lines, a very high figure for the entire game.
But his whole distribution locker is deep and varied, not just the vertical passes. Crucially, he possesses a change of orientation ability that players like Frenkie de Jong often lack, allowing him to play long, accurate diagonal switches. When under pressure, he delivers passes that go directly to the receiver’s preferred foot, minimising movement for the teammate. This is what we call a high level of empathy when passing the ball. He uses his surroundings and scans constantly, knowing when he has the time and space to turn his body and immediately look for the farthest option to amplify the damage in transition.
Domagoj Kostanjsak
The depth of his passing range allows him to passively influence the entire pitch, meaning he is able to influence the entire field with his passes from a static position. This is the ability the likes of Busquets mastered. More importantly, however, with low back-lift, he can execute actions with both speed of thought and high efficiency.
Being a Barcelona pivot, most actions will happen under pressure and Bernal displays an advanced understanding of press manipulation, similar to the touch of Toni Kroos. For instance, he baits the press by faking letting the ball past his body, directly attacking the opponent’s counter-momentum, and constantly readjusting himself to find the right continuation while keeping his personal space intact. In other words, he simplifies the game, swiftly identifying where the initial advantage lies.
All of that makes his potential as Barça’s number six incredible.
But it's not where this story ends.
