Bundesliga: No regrets for Barcelona cast-off making waves in Dortmund

Marc Bartra has no doubt in his mind that the arrival of Luis Enrique was the beginning of the end for his Barcelona career.

Having made his debut under Pep Guardiola back in 2010, Bartra had always found it difficult to cement his spot as an undisputed starter for the Blaugrana. But when he started 24 matches under Gerardo "Tata" Martino in the 2013/2014 campaign, in a season where he also made his national team debut, things were certainly looking positive for him.

The following season, Enrique's first at the club, he began encouragingly but his minutes slowly began to diminish. While he managed 22 starts, there were ominous signs that his manager never truly believed he possessed the necessary quality to usurp the brilliant duo of Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano and become a starter.

Playing only 12 games from the outset in the 2015/2016 crusade confirmed to Bartra that his manager didn't entirely have faith in him. Feeling unwanted after his gradual, 18 month fall down the pecking order, the 25-year-old felt he had no other choice but to leave the club he joined as a 12-year-old, played over 150 times for and loves so dearly.

"When I made my debut under Pep, I felt his confidence," he said. "Tito (Vilanova) decided to put me in the first team. With Tata I played practically 30 games which gave me the chance to play for the national team.

"I was on an upwards ascent until Luis Enrique arrived. I started well with him, but later I stopped counting. It was a tough 18 months for me.

"One of the highlights of my season was returning to the national team. I played a match against England and was really happy yet I was then left out of the Clasico. It was at that moment it was clear I shouldn't stay at Barcelona."

Taking control of his destiny, Bartra decided to take the brave step of moving to Germany, to a country with an unfamiliar league, language and culture. Working under the expert tutelage of Thomas Tuchel and the exciting project he's created were clearly pivotal aspects in him wanting to join Borussia Dortmund. But the club's unbridled desire to secure his services made him feel wanted and appreciated, something that Bartra knew he needed after his struggles at Barca.

"It was a difficult change, the most important decision I've made in my life and the best I've taken. Dortmund had a lot of interest in me from the very beginning," explained the €8 million signing.

"It was very satisfying to be part of Barcelona, but I feel very excited to be able to keep developing [at Borussia Dortmund]. Now that I think about it, I do not regret leaving Barcelona."

Judging on his fine start to life with the Black and Yellows and the way he's smoothly integrated into Tuchel's squad, there's absolutely no reason for him to regret leaving the Catalan giants, where, had he stayed, he would've been resigned to a place on the bench.

After making such an accomplished Bundesliga debut in his side's 2-1 victory over Mainz 05, Bartra would've felt an additional sense of vindication that he did indeed make the right choice.

From his left sided central defensive station, the Spaniard put in a shift littered with upside and, importantly, one that was bereft of mistakes. Clean, polished and assured throughout, Bartra looked right at home alongside his new defensive partner, Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

Up against a Mainz attacking unit that consisted of Yunus Malli, Karim Onisiwo and the pacy Christian Clemens, Bartra dealt with the varying skillsets of each player capably whenever they were in his designated area of operation. Being so adept at reading the play and so positionally intelligent provided him with the perfect platform to deal with his adversaries. Combine this with his superb judgement when to tackle, hold his ground or apply pressure, and it's unsurprising the Mainz attackers found little joy in their duels with Bartra. Moreover, he used all of his 184cm frame and underrated leap to dominate in the air.

His defensive contribution didn't stop there, however, for he astutely slid across to cover his left-back, Marcel Schmelzer, whenever he bombed forward to ensure coverage was present in case of a turnover. While his supreme concentration and awareness enabled him to pick up any of Mainz's midfield runners in order to tidy up any blown marking assignments committed by his midfielders.

As ever, Bartra's exceptional passing game, that he honed since the age of 12 within the confines of Barca's famed La Masia academy, enabled him to have a profound impact in Dortmund's possession phases too. Seeing as Martin Schmidt loves his side to press aggressively, Bartra's composure and ability to make concise decisions under heavy duress saw him act as vital component when BVB were passing the ball out from the back.

Once he evaded the 05ers' best attentions, the elegant defender showcased his vast passing repetoire to kickstart many an attack for the home side. His 50 yard cross field diagonals, much like Jerome Boateng does for Bayern Munich, added yet another layer of menace to Dortmund's already multifaceted offensive unit.

In addition, the way he smartly bypassed Mainz's lines of pressure by playing some pinpoint deliveries into the feet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Shinji Kagawa only accentuated his quality in this regard.

His utterly accomplished showing was duly punctuated by his statistics that state he made two tackles, three interceptions, three clearances, one block and completed 114 passes at a 90% success rate.

“I was really looking forward to playing my first game in the Bundesliga, and doing so with a win is important. It gives us confidence," he told the Set Pieces after the match.

"I feel very good in the position, I feel comfortable. There’s not really much difference in the position to how I played at Barcelona. I turn the pressure into motivation and desire."

The man who's bulging trophy cabinet includes five La Liga titles and two coveted Champions League crowns will be hoping he can back up his strong debut by putting in equally outstanding showing against RB Leipzig at the weekend. Courtesy of their Red Bull ownership, Leipzig are now widely recognised as the most hated club in Germany. But, nonetheless, the match at the Red Bull Arena promises to be a special, historic occasion, for it's Leipzig's first ever home game in the Bundesliga.

An expected capacity crowd of 44,300 should set a stirring backdrop for the clash too. Additional interest from the match will arrive with the impending debut of Leipzig's gifted new signing, Oliver Burke. The Scottish international, who joined for a hefty £13 million from Nottingham Forest, amid interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona, is already being touted as the next Gareth Bale due to his power, skill and physically imposing approach.

Bartra and his colleagues' battle with the 19-year-old looms as a highly intriguing subplot to the contest, but Dortmund will also have to be wary of the Red Bulls' other dangerous offensive weapons. Facing the likes of Emil Forsberg, Davie Selke, Marcel Sabitzer, Yussuf Poulsen and Timo Werner means Bartra will need to on top of his game to deal with the dynamism of Leipzig going forward.

It'll unquestionably be a memorable experience for the languid stopper, but his familiarity with playing in front of huge, intimidating crowds with club and country should hold him great stead to remain calm and have a profound impact on the contest.

Although Bartra admits it was one of the toughest decisions he's ever had to make leaving Barca, his fantastic start to life at Dortmund only reinforces his belief that he made the right call.

And that's why he justifiably feels no regrets whatsoever about joining Dortmund.