Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has said that he was 'not surprised' by Samuel Umtiti's strong performance in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday night.
Umtiti was handed a spot at the heart of the Barcelona defence at Camp Nou and despite conceding a first-half penalty, impressed with his performance for the Spanish champions.
Enrique, whose team begin their La Liga campaign at home to Real Betis this weekend, has challenged the France international to maintain a high level throughout the 2016-17 campaign after paying tribute to his strong start.
"Samuel Umtiti? He hasn't surprised me at all. I know him and I've followed him and I saw the same when he was 22 and was captain," AS quotes Enrique as saying.
"He has a lot of credibility, uses the ball well, he's aggressive. But this is Barca. He's started at a high level but Barca demands a lot and he has to be given tranquillity, though he's in the best place and the new players have adapted very quickly."
Umtiti joined Barcelona from Lyon in this summer's transfer window.
Matt Law
