Nelson Semedo and Jordi Alba: The second face of Barcelona's attack

Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona system is true to his essence in recent years. In this sense, it's as usual to see the forwards pressing to recover the ball as it is to see the full-backs roaming forward on the flanks to join in attacks. 

Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo know how to perform their roles. They don't just defend with discipline, but they constantly join Barça's attacks. If Dani Alves represented an attacking philosophy, the Portuguese right-back is proving a worthy successor. On the left, with Valverde, Alba's recovered the confidence which he had lost at the end of the Luis Enrique era. 

Against Sevilla on Saturday, Barça's wings were once again a motorway for the two defenders. The heat maps from the game show that throughout the 90 minutes, the Catalan and the Portuguese dedicated a lot of their time to attacking. 

In the case of Semedo, it's even more clear than Alba's. At 23, his explosiveness and his speed allow him to sprint forward and still get back into his position in defence when required.  

So far, the former Benfica man has lacked continuity, but with the injury to Sergi Roberto, he looks set to start the coming games.