FC Barcelona were far from their best in the 3–1 win over Alavés at the Spotify Camp Nou last weekend, but one player who impressed for the second successive game at centre-back was Gerard Martin.
The Spaniard was tried in this role in pre-season. However, it took until the match against Athletic Club the previous weekend for Hansi Flick to finally give him a run-out in central defence for the first time.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Gerard Martin has emerged as an unexpected lifesaver for Hansi Flick following his impressive performances in the past couple of La Liga games. The German manager has been struggling to identify his ideal defence so far this season.
He has used several different defensive partnerships in 19 games across all competitions and has struggled to find the ideal replacement for Inigo Martinez, who left the club to join Al Nassr this past summer.
Gerard Martin plays during the match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club, corresponding to week 13 of LaLiga EA Sports, at the Spotify Camp Nou, in Barcelona, Spain, on November 22, 2025.
Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Flick might now have found his solution for a left-footed centre-back in Gerard Martin. It is still early days, but it already looks as though the €12 million-rated Spaniard is more comfortable in this new position than he is at left-back.
It remains to be seen whether Flick will be bold enough to start Martin against Atletico Madrid. It may be too big a risk, and he could err on the side of caution and go with Eric Garcia. Only time will tell how the Gerard Martin-at-centre-back experiment plays out for Barcelona.