LaLiga 2018-19: Is Sergio Busquets the weakest link in Barcelona's lineup?

Barcelona drubbed Manchester United 3-0 in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday at the Camp Nou, and it was Lionel Messi to the fore again. He scored a beauty by inching out space from Ashley Young and Phil Jones and later was gifted one by a David de Gea schoolboy-like error.

Philippe Coutinho scored a brilliant goal from the inside of his foot to seal the deal for La Blaugrana. There was no coming back for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men from there.

One player who has escaped both acclaim and scrutiny in all this is Barcelona's central defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets. A lot has been said about his passing and distribution skills, but none of that was visible over the two legs of the quarterfinal clash.

Busquets gave the ball up easily and forced other midfielders in the lineup (such as Ivan Rakitic and Arthur) to retrieve it back from the opposition. His holding skills were largely untested, and when they were, he faltered by committing fouls left, right and centre.

It was some of these fouls which led him to getting booked in the first leg at Old Trafford, in a game where it was widely debated how he escaped being sent off. If there is any weak link in Barcelona's starting lineup, it is Busquets.

The 30-year-old spent most of his time acting as the third centre-back beside Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet. But when the time came for serious defending, he put his hands up.

When Barcelona played balls into the attacking third or try to score off set pieces, Busquets remained nowhere to be seen. He was content in the comfort of his own half where he could backpass the ball to Marc Andre Ter Stegen and give it to his players in open spaces. Busquets also struggled tremendously whenever he was huddled into tight areas and made to pass the ball quickly.

Busquets has been playing as a listless central midfielder who just feeds off the other players in the team. He offers practically nothing to Ernesto Valverde, and it is a wonder how he has stuck with the Spaniard for so long.

Busquets does not have too many physical aspects to his game either, so playing him as the holding midfielder is purely inviting trouble. Barcelona need to sign a proactive defensive midfielder in the summer window to counter the problems with Busquets.