Sergi Roberto Gives Barcelona Reasons to Be Cheerful Against Bayer Leverkusen

Sergi Roberto finally looks ready to claim a regular place in the Barcelona starting XI.

A substitute in their Champions League encounter against Bayer Leverkusen, the youngster's introduction, arguably, changed the course of the match.

Within eight minutes, he'd poked the Catalans level against the tiring Germans, building a platform for Luis Suarez to win the match with a goal of unerring accuracy with little backlift.

La Masia continues to be talked up as the academy all professional football clubs should aspire to, but the fact remains that no players of note have made a dent on the first team since Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez in 2008/09.

The conveyor belt keeps churning out talent, but the quality in general terms has been lacking.

Players have been given fleeting opportunities but never really made the most of them, eventually leading to sales or loans elsewhere. European football is awash with youngsters who plied their trade in Catalonia.

VI-Images/Getty Images

By season's end, there could be a few more joining the exodus. Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez haven't exactly set the world alight since their debuts at the beginning of last season, while Marc Bartra, seemingly, doesn't have the confidence of the manager.

El Haddadi did at least provide the assist for Suarez to score the winner on Tuesday with some excellent work inside the penalty box, but he needs to provide the same level of excellence and assurance on a much more regular basis.

Roberto's entry point in reality has come about by default. A make-do-and-mend scenario when Dani Alves was injured allowed him to slot in as a right wing-back, a role he has taken to like a duck to water.

As is normally found with footballers, the injection of confidence allows for a greater freedom of expression, and the 23-year-old has been a totally different player during this campaign.

Even back in his usual midfield role against Leverkusen, Roberto was dynamic, robust in the challenge and industrious. It seemed fairly clear he wanted the responsibility and involvement at the sharp end.

Andres Iniesta's unfortunate hamstring injury allows Roberto a few more weeks to put a marker down. A report by Press Association Sport, via ESPN, quotes Spanish sources as saying that Barca's captain could be out for between four and six weeks.

Coming so soon after losing Lionel Messi for two months, it's obviously a huge blow to the Catalans. Luis Enrique noted after the game via ESPN: "I don't know the medical statement, but [Iniesta] asked to come off for a reason. He has experience and is an important player. I send him a message of support as he is an important player for the team."

Iniesta's pain is Roberto's gain, and if he does continue in the form of the last few games, then the absence of El Ilusionista may not be as keenly felt as usual.

There will never be a better time for Roberto to author his own future than over the next half-a-dozen games, and it really does feel like a watershed moment in the player's career at Barcelona.

For the club themselves, the youngster's evident success at last gives them a blueprint to espouse to the younger generation at the academy.

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

That if you continue to work hard, have the belief in your own abilities and take your opportunity when it is presented to you, then there is a genuine chance of making it at one of the biggest club's in the world. 

Roberto's body language speaks volumes at present, and such a confident, bright outlook should mean the pressure of becoming the new standard-bearer for La Masia is something he will be able to manage with ease.

In the space of just a few weeks, Sergi Roberto may have done much more than guarantee himself a future at Camp Nou.