Barcelona wonderkid receives special ovation from teammates after stellar display vs Napoli
Barcelona’s 17-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi made his UEFA Champions League debut last night against Napoli and for all the valid reasons, was named the Man of the Match.
The magnitude of his performance was so extreme that he received a special ovation in the locker room after the match as the team celebrated his performance by chanting “Cu Cu Cubarsi”.
Interestingly enough, Cubarsi’s appearance along with Lamine Yamal’s start against Napoli mentioned Barcelona in the history books as the Blaugrana became the first team to field two players aged 17 years or younger in a UEFA Champions League knockout round.
A moment celebrated with the manager
Following his standout performance, which saw him thwart Napoli’s star player, Victor Osimhen, his celebratory gathering started on the playing field.
Joao Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, and fellow youngsters Marc Guiu, Hector Fort, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Casado, among others, offered their cheers and support.
Not bad for a @ChampionsLeague debut!
🔝 performance, Pau Cubarsí 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/hqH7ZGWUnp— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 12, 2024
Holding the UEFA MVP award, the centre-back was embraced by the entire staff on the way to the dressing room. Eventually, Xavi extended congratulations with a warm hug, and fellow teammates joined in the festivity.
The festivities carried on in the dressing room as well, as Cubarsi’s performance was celebrated by his teammates, with the likes of Ferran Torres and Guiu, among others joining in.
A rock-solid display
Cubarsi was extremely effective for Barcelona throughout the match against Napoli and his importance can be understood by the fact that he won three aerial battles.
Furthermore, the 17-year-old had a 100% successful tackle rate, having won each of his three tackles.
What a night! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/rvscXUZQUH
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 12, 2024
Only four players attempted more tackles than Cubarsi on the night, with only Joao Cancelo and Raphinha winning more (four each).
It is to be noted that despite facing a strong forward like Osimhen, not once was Cubarsi dribbled past.
To put things into perspective, Andreas Christensen, who played as a holding midfielder, was dribbled past twice. On the other hand, Cubarsi even went on to make as many as five clearances and one interception.
It was a special performance from a teenage prodigy making his Champions League debut, that too in a knockout do-or-die game. A bright future awaits Cubarsi.
