One of the most exciting transfers for FC Barcelona fans in the recently closed transfer window was the signing of Vitor Roque from Athletico Paranaense. While the player is yet to arrive in Barcelona, his performances in Brazil are continuously causing a stir among the Cules.
Roque has been in hot scoring form for months now and has scored some incredible goals in this circle, which have helped his team gain some highly important points.
One of the most beautiful goals that he scored in recent matches was against Goias, as he dribbled his way to the box before beating the goalkeeper and defenders with a vicious shot.
Centre-forward: The best position for Roque
The movement for this goal started from near the left end of the pitch, which led to speculation that Vitor Roque operates better as a left winger. However, as SPORT has reported, Roque is primarily a striker, and his record this season verifies this fact.
The report notes that nine of his last ten goals have been scored from inside the area. Only one goal came from outside the box, which resulted from a counterattack against Allianz Lima in Copa Libertadores.
Furthermore, nine of these ten goals have also come when Roque was playing as a center-forward, and only one came from the wing. Five of these were scored from the 6-yard box, including two headers. The only goal he scored from the left wing was the one against Goias, which has already been discussed.
Brazil’s Olympic coach recognises this growth
The Brazilian Olympic coach, Ramon Menezes, also identified this trend in a recent interview:
“With the speed he has, he’s like a winger playing on the inside because his transition is very strong. I see him as a forward who operates from the inside. I can no longer imagine him on the wing.”
Thus, when he arrives at Barcelona, Vitor Roque will have to learn the tricks of the trade from Robert Lewandowski. Meanwhile, Xavi will have to incorporate him into his playing style, and he will get into the starting lineups only gradually.
