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Barcelona’s investment in Kika Nazareth from Portugal caught a few eyes last summer. Despite being a player of great promise and talent, it was slightly unlike Barcelona to sign a player of such a young age, instead of someone who has already proven themselves.
Whilst Esmee Brugts was younger than Kika when she joined the Spanish giants, it was on a free deal with PSV, a stark contrast to Barcelona spending between $400,000 and $650,000 on the Portuguese international. Kika was an excellent acquisition for the side both right now and in the future, and here’s why.
Adaptability
Part of Barcelona’s identity is the responsive nature and understanding of those around you. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage home tie with St Pölten, Kika showed this in the build-up to her goal in the first half. Ewa Pajor, the side’s number nine, pulls deep to collect the ball. After some communication from Aitana Bonmatí, Kika fills the space that should otherwise be filled by Pajor. It allows the Portuguese international to be in the box and ready for the tap-in to make the game 2-0.
It is slightly disingenuous to suggest this is a fluke or unnatural for Kika. She has alternatively played as a striker in her career, and at Barcelona. But the ability to pull in and out of the front line and the respond to the movements of others is a skill embedded into the Barcelona way of playing.
The quick-paced and assertive nature of the Barcelona build-up means it is essential for players to be comfortable and active in these types of situations. It may have only been a tap-in goal, but Kika’s responsiveness to pull into the front line when it was needed meant the goal was executed and not wasted.
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Pressing and space
In her pressing style, Kika often makes herself available in space in and around the box. In the 6-0 win against Levante Badalona, the Portuguese showed how the smallest of gaps can equate in a goal.
As everyone closes down on the box after Brugts sends the ball in from out wide, Pajor and Patri Guarrjo find themselves tightly marked, with Jana Férnandez coming in from the wing but unable to make it. But Kika remains in good space and even drifts away from her marker.
With three defenders in the box, and two on her left marking Patri and Pajor, Kika divides the space before heading straight through the opening to convert the ball. This vision to split the space and pull the compact defensive three apart means she has no marker and ample space to create and convert the header.
In this, she can comfortably convert her header into the back of the net for 6-0. In her pressing and comfortable space, Kika allows for the header to be completely unsaveable by the goalkeeper. By directing it in the far corner, it is out of reach of the goalkeeper, who has come close to Kika to attempt the save. It seems easy and simple, but there is an underline of intelligence in the move.
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Creative and stylish football
All of these attributes aside, Barcelona signed the Portuguese international for her creativity and vision in the game. Her undeniable flair works well in the system and style of Barcelona, whilst adding a new layer of unpredictability and fire. Her first goal for the club showed exactly why they signed her.
In Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Levante UD, Kika’s creativity worked a treat out on the wing to score her first goal for the club. Claudia Pina collects the ball outside of the box. She then chips it into the box for Kika to run onto. Doing exactly that, she shoots across the goal, with her first touch, into the back of the net for her first Barca goal. It’s the type of finish that sets the tone for Kika’s abilities and finesse in this team.
The chip pass from Pina is, in itself, an excellent piece of vision and control. But with Kika running onto it, weaving around the defender to her left, she pulls herself further away from the face of goal. This means her timing must be inch perfect. A second too early or late and she wouldn’t get the power or touch she desired on the ball. And that it was.
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She waits for the ball to bounce back up before unleashing the shot across the goal. It’s a goal that set the bar for what she can bring to Barcelona.
With a contract until 2029, Kika has more than enough time to show what she can do, and build on in this Barcelona team. Her flair, creativity and drive are just the beginning of what makes her a hardworking and adaptable player. Smart and controlled, she will surely grow to be a great outlet for Barcelona in the long term.
