João Cancelo has hit the ground running at FC Barcelona. After his arrival on transfer deadline day on September 1st, what he has achieved during his first month as a Blaugrana is quite remarkable. He has already played five LALIGA EA SPORTS matches and two Champions League games, with six of them as a starter and with two goals and one assist to his name.
The arrival of the Portuguese has opened up a range of possibilities for Xavi, as his ability to play inside and outside means he can be used in different tactical variations. The full-back can be positioned close to the midfielders to help generate chances, while he can also showcase his ability to cause problems down the right flank.
Furthermore, one of his goals has seen Cancelo scoop the latest goal of the month award in LALIGA EA SPORTS. The goal in question is the one that made it a 5-0 final score in the team's resounding victory over Real Betis. For that goal, he received the ball on the right flank, cut into the penalty area and beat Francisco Vieites with a powerful strike.
Cancelo has certainly been showing off his goalscoring at Barça, as he also played a key role with his strike against RC Celta to complete an epic 3-2 comeback in the final minutes.
More than that, his influence on the team's overall play has been very special, and he is averaging close to 60 passes per LALIGA EA SPORTS game since his arrival, including five key passes. In addition, he has a solid 86.3% pass success rate, which is remarkable considering that his area of influence is far from that of a standard defender.
Of course, his position also demands a high defensive performance, and he is doing that. Of the four LALIGA EA SPORTS matches that Cancelo has started, FC Barcelona have managed to keep a clean sheet in two of them. Personally, he has recovered 25 balls and won 36 of his 60 duels.
Without a doubt, he is fulfilling the high expectations that accompanied his arrival. FC Barcelona had needed a player with a profile like his for the right of defence for several years, after Jules Koundé had to adapt and play right-back for a lot of last season and after Sergi Roberto was similarly reconverted into a right-back in the past.
With plenty of international experience from his stints in Portugal, Spain, Italy, England and Germany, the Portuguese is one of the most talented players in his position and his arrival, along with that of João Félix, has meant a significant improvement in the quality of the squad.
'The Joãos', as they have been labelled, join the long list of Portuguese players who have worn the FC Barcelona shirt: Luis Figo, Quaresma, Simão Sabrosa, Vítor Bahía, Fernando Couto and, more recently, André Gomes, Nelson Semedo and Francisco Trincão. Even Deco, FC Barcelona's current sporting director, and the architect of the signings of Cancelo and João Félix, marked an era at FC Barcelona during his own playing days.
