He had Another Cracking Game against Celtic - Bartra proves Martino right

Posted Friday, October 04, 2013 by Marca.com

Marc Bartra is making the most of the opportunities which Martino has given him and has now played in the last three games, having started in the last two. His performances have been so good that the Barcelona fans are taken with him and already comparing him to Varane, the Real Madrid centre back who burst onto the scene last season.

Everyone has already forgotten that Barcelona was looking to bring in a centre back over the summer and offered around €35 million for Thiago Silva. Martino's arrival put an end to any deals being done and now Bartra has proven him right. Tata was confident that Puyol would recover, if slightly less so in the ability of the youngster, but Mascherano's injury and the delay in the captain's comeback have led to the discovery of the young centre back.

One of the people with the greatest confidence in Bartra is, unsurprisingly, his father. "Barça doesn't need to sign a centre back. If Marc had been given the opportunity earlier, he would have already done what he's doing now," Josep Bartra told 'Catalunya Radio'. He also assured that "his job now is to play so that the regulars can rest and to make the most of the games he is given. It is extremely demanding at Barça."