Pep Guardiola singles out Barcelona teen for praise after friendly against Man City
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted he was impressed with Barcelona’s youngsters after seeing his team beaten by Hansi Flick’s side in a pre-season friendly.
Flick has taken a host of youngsters on tour this summer with the likes of Pau Victor, Marc Casado, Hector Fort and Gerard Martin all starting the match.
Yet there was one player in particular who received praise from the former Barca boss after the game.
“I really liked the youngsters. Marc Bernal seemed extraordinary to me, how he controls, how he plays. But they all played incredibly, they do things very well, they know when to run, when to press, when to anticipate. I wish them all the best,” he told reporter.
“They are going to have a very good season. They have young players with a lot of talent. They are extraordinary players. It is incredible how talented they are and what they do on the pitch, how easy they do it for their age. It is not a surprise to me because I know perfectly well how well they work with the youth team at that club.”
Goals from Pablo Torre and Pau Victor sealed the win before a shoot-out which brought two saves from Ander Astralaga and allowed 16-year-old Toni Fernandez to seal it with the decisive kick.