Alejandro Balde or João Cancelo: Who should be Barcelona’s starting left-back for the rest of the season?

Barcelona returned to the summit of La Liga on Sunday after a commanding 3-0 victory over Levante at Camp Nou, and the afternoon’s most compelling subplot unfolded on the left flank. João Cancelo, handed the nod ahead of Alejandro Balde, seized the opportunity with a performance that was equal parts creator and stopper, delivering the game’s standout display while reminding supporters of his pedigree.

Cancelo’s first start since re-joining the club in January was anything than tentative. Operating as an inverted full-back, he repeatedly stepped into midfield to orchestrate attacks, finished the match as the team’s chief chance creator, and still found time for decisive defensive interventions. The showing instantly reignites the debate over who should own the left-back berth for the run-in.

Balde, the 21-year-old academy graduate, has experienced a campaign of peaks and troughs. Once considered the long-term solution on the left, his form has wavered and, with Manchester United and Inter Milan circling, his future at Camp Nou is the subject of mounting speculation. The Levante fixture, which he watched from the bench, may have signalled a shift in the hierarchy.

With the title race intensifying and European ambitions still alive, every selection carries heightened stakes. Hansi Flick now faces a tactical crossroads: back the explosive, home-grown pace of Balde, or entrust the more experienced, tactically versatile Cancelo for the season’s defining stretch.

The answer will shape not only Barcelona’s defensive stability but also the rhythm of their entire attacking circuit between now and May.