FC Barcelona followed up their impressive 4-1 win over Bayern Munich midweek with an even more impressive 4-0 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Hansi Flick’s men outclassed Los Blancos in front of their home crowd.
A brace from Lewandowski and goals from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha helped Barcelona get past Real Madrid. However, it was not just these players who covered themselves in glory at the Bernabeu. There were so many other players who had an incredible display.
One such player who was unbelievable on the night was Pau Cubarsi. The 17-year-old center-back did not put a foot wrong in the game and marshaled both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. like he has been playing this game for years.
As per stats from Sofa Score, Cubarsi recorded one blocked shot, two interceptions, and three total tackles, and was dribbled past just once. He also won three out of his five ground duels, including an inch-perfect last-ditch tackle on Vinicius at the edge of his box.
However, as good as his defensive numbers are, it is his ball-playing abilities that truly stand out. He recorded 55 touches on the ball in 90 minutes, completed 91% of his 47 passes, and completed 6 out of his 7 attempted long balls.
Numbers-wise, Cubarsi had an incredible display but even otherwise, his impact on the game was incredible. Although Lamine is hogging all the limelight with his attacking displays, what the Spaniard is doing at 17 is as much an anomaly if not more.
Playing in a position where players take time to mature, Cubarsi looks like has everything in his game at such a young age. There don’t seem to be any glaring weaknesses and it is up to the 17-year-old to continue developing at a similar rate.
Cubarsi, at just 17, is already one of the best ball-playing center-backs in the world. The world is his oyster and let’s hope the Spaniard can continue his good work going forward.
