Finding purpose in FC Barcelona can be a monumental task, especially given the quality present. Many players end up failing in their quest to find that purpose, and are often forgotten from Barça’s path. However, certain very special talents do ultimately manage to find their role at Barcelona.
More often than not, these kinds of players are rarely the youngsters emerging from the youth academy. To stand out as a graduate from the quarry, these starlets need to possess extraordinary capabilities. Fortunately for Barcelona, their new defensive revelation from the subsidiary is just that.
Pau Cubarsi, at only the tender age of 17, is already a mainstay under Xavi Hernandez. In fact, as highlighted by SPORT, ever since his outing against Unionistas de Salamanca, he has been considered a player of the first team. Moreover, even heading into the next season, Cubarsi is seen as a permanent member of the first team.
His recent display against Getafe furthered this belief even more, as he showcased exactly how crucial he can be to this team. Playing the entirety of the game, he had 93 touches, and made 71 successful passes throughout the game. Two of those passes reached the final third as well, acting as dangerous creations from him.
Defensively, he was equally as extraordinary. Winning all the duels he took part in, with an exceptional 100% success rate, he also completed 9 clearances and made an interception. Moreover, the 17-year-old defensive prodigy also made 5 recoveries in the game.
Even after the game, Xavi was completely amazed by his performance and made sure to compliment his display:
“He played for the ball distribution. For me, Cubarsí is the best center-back we have in terms of ball distribution. It’s spectacular, at 17 years old, we were looking for that…”
“He plays with a tremendous personality and moreover, he doesn’t miss a pass, he gives them all with purpose. He always improves on the pass that you, as a coach, think he should make. He looks for the second line, it’s a tremendous breakthrough, to be at the club for many years.”
