5 things we've learned about Barcelona so far this season

#4 Samuel Umtiti is key to Barcelona’s newfound defensive solidity

Samuel Umtiti is touted to be the best central-defender Barcelona have had since Carles Puyol

There used to be a time when Barcelona had the good fortune of fielding Carles Puyol at the heart of their defence. However, ever since the former Spanish international hung up his boots in 2014, the Catalan giants have lacked a leader of men who can single-handedly organize their defence.

But finally after more than a year of trial and error, Barcelona seem to have found the perfect replacement for their former skipper and it’s come in the form of Samuel Umtiti. The 24-year-old was signed from Lyon for 25 million pounds in 2016 and less than two years later, he’s already proved to be one of Barcelona’s best signings in the recent past.

The Frenchman is a towering presence at the back for Barca and enjoys making a nuisance of himself for opposition strikers. Moreover, he loves throwing himself about for the team, just the way Puyol loved making his presence felt, back in the day.

Having made a mark for himself during his first season at the Camp Nou last season, Umtiti simply carried on from where he had left off this season, before his untimely injury.

And while it can’t be said that Barcelona have missed Umtiti during his time on the sidelines, given the kind of defensive solidity they’ve displayed during his absence, lets not forget the fact that Umtiti was the one who laid the foundation for incredible defensive record that Barca boast at the halfway stage of their league campaign.