Andre Gomes' display against Celtic shows he's on path to success

Andre Gomes' display against Celtic shows he's on path to success

Andre Gomes still needs to time to exhibit his best football, but the Portuguese midfielder continues to take steps forward as he adapts to life at Barcelona. Even though he didn't stand out against Celtic -- the MSN took the limelight -- there is significant data to show that the former Valencia man is on the right path. 

Next to players of the stature of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, his 1.88m height can be deceptive and sometimes you get the sensation that he lacks mobility and pace. That couldn't be further from the truth. Only Sergi Roberto covered more ground than him against the Scottish champions. Gomes ran 11.2km, with Roberto clocking up 11.4km. 

As for his participation, it's surprising to learn that Gomes was the player most sought out by his team-mates in the Champions League game on Tuesday. In total, he received 93 passes, the majority from Jordi Alba (21) as he played on the left side of the midfield three in the first half. 

In contrast to what Arda Turan went through in his first few months at Barça, Andre Gomes' adaption in the middle of the park already looks to be much quicker. The Portuguese international has taken on board the side's tactics perfectly and his participation in the play will grow from there. 

The midfielder, a lover of possession football, only erred on four passes. Of course, on many occasions he did prefer to minimise the risk by playing the simple ball, but that also demonstrates his intelligence. The moment will arrive when he can show off his potential a bit more -- the same potential which saw him arrive at Camp Nou this summer.