Barcelona new signing could start against Shakhtar Donetsk after impressing vs Athletic Club

While the spotlight is firmly on a certain Marc Guiu for his first goal and Joao Felix for yet another fine performance after Barcelona’s 1-0 win against Athletic Club, another player stood out with a majestic display on Sunday night.

Inigo Martinez made only his second start for Barcelona since joining the club during the summer transfer window and made a big impression against his former employers.

A solid display from Inigo

Given that Jules Kounde is injured and Ronald Araujo needed a breather, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez handed Inigo Martinez his second start of the season against Athletic.

Having not had the best of starts to the campaign due to fitness problems and lack of minutes, this was the 32-year-old’s big opportunity to make a mark, especially after his so-so display on his previous start against Real Betis.

And Martinez ensured that he made the most of his chance last night, putting in a solid display at the heart of the Barça defence to keep his former team at bay.

“I already said that Iñigo will be important. It was a very personal signing for me and I have great confidence in it. Today was at a very high level and he will help us a lot without any doubt,” Xavi said after the game.

Another start vs Shakhtar beckons?

As such, now Mundo Deportivo is claiming that Martinez’s performance on Sunday may very well have earned him another starting opportunity against Shakhtar Donetsk later this week.

The 32-year-old Spaniard could be in line for a consecutive start when Barcelona take on the Ukrainian champions on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League.

Given that Barça face Real Madrid later this weekend, Xavi will want to have his best defenders – Araujo and Andreas Christensen – fully fit and available for that encounter.

As such, it would not come as a surprise to see the manager opt to rest one of the two against Shakhtar and start with Martinez once again, especially after the way he performed last night against Athletic.