This article is part of Football FanCast's Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC's microscope.

Barcelona thumped Sevilla 4-0 on Sunday but things could've been a lot different had Ernesto Valverde not included a surprise player in the starting lineup.

Snapshot

On paper, the Blaugrana truly dismantled Sevilla on the night.

After all, that's what many would probably assume seeing the 4-0 scoreline. But results can often be rather and Sevilla stood their ground throughout the game, registering 16 shots on goal as opposed to Barcelona's 15.

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But they weren't clinical enough and despite some good efforts, Barca managed to turn the game on its head in a couple of swift moves.

One of the players that was on the scoresheet was Arturo Vidal, and just like in the game against Inter last week, the Chilean was crucial to the club's triumph.

A hidden gem

It's safe to say that Vidal hasn't seen as much game time this season as he probably would've wished for.

After all, out of the eight games Barcelona played in the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga campaign, the 32-year-old only participated in five of them, missing out on the opening day clash entirely, while he was left on the bench in the other two.

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That start against Sevilla was actually his first one of the season and it seems that Valverde hit the bullseye with his surprise inclusion.

Not only did Vidal score a goal on the night but he also registered one key pass, 91.1% passing accuracy and 59 touches.

But that's not all either as he was a true box to box midfielder, helping out at both ends of the pitch.

Defensively, he recorded a total of seven tackles on the night, more than any other player in the game, both sides included, and added one interception and one clearance to that tally as well.

By all accounts, he was one of the most influential players for the Blaugrana and warranted an 8.27 rating, according to Whoscored.

And who knows, maybe he will soon be included in the starting XI.