The victory over Cadiz went to FC Barcelona for being careful with the smallest and finest of details. Despite fielding an XI with many rotations, Xavi’s side overcame their opponents at the Nuevo Mirandilla. However, if there is one name to be singled out for keeping Cadiz at bay, it was the young sentinel of Barcelona.
Aged just 17, Pau Cubarsi continues to impress the world of football through his feats at Barcelona. Already having marshaled some of European football’s finest forwards, the young Spaniard continues to exude confidence and display extraordinary levels of footballing ability and understanding of the game.
That is why, as per Gabriel Sans of Mundo Deportivo, his presence is already a guarantee against Paris Saint-Germain. His potential remains immeasurable, yet he has already become a first-team mainstay for FC Barcelona. Against PSG, his presence is vital and crucial, just as much as any of Xavi’s most important players.
Even against Cadiz, his numbers do a decent job at capturing what he brings to the team. In terms of defensive output, he was the player on the entire field with the most number of ball recoveries. The young Barcelona academy product ended up making 11 recoveries in total during the match.
On the other end of things, he was creatively just as effective as always. While he was not given the liberty to deliver his typical advanced passes too often in this game, he was still the player on the pitch with the most number of completed passes. He completed a total of 68 passes, and was followed by Sergi Roberto’s 66, despite the latter being a midfielder.
Already the most commonly revalued player in La Liga, his transfer value has seen unprecedented levels of growing heights. A justified increase, given his contributions and performances at the highest level of European football.
Now among the highest-valued young defenders in Europe, Cubarsi’s presence against PSG in front of the Montjuic crowd is something that Barcelona joyously counts on.