The woes of the UEFA Champions League continue to haunt FC Barcelona to a great extent. La Blaugrana, despite having everything in their own hands, blew the tie against Paris Saint-Germain. A total collapse is what followed and led to Barcelona being thrown out of the competition itself.
Now, the Catalan giants are left without any real hopes for a title this season. Their star players are arguing and reportedly discontent with each other, albeit other reports have indeed contradicted this, and their result on the big stage is a mess they created themselves rather than being one that came through the dominance of their opponent.
Their next tie is now against Real Madrid, their eternal rivals in Spain. However, unlike Barcelona, Los Blancos are in the best possible spirit that they could possibly be in. Leading La Liga already, they have managed to overcome arguably the favorites of the Champions League itself in Manchester City.
However, with El Clasico being the next fixture up for both teams, Barcelona come into the game with a point to prove. Even their youngsters seem to be raring for a shot to make things right again for themselves and the fans.
Pau Cubarsi, the 17-year-old defensive wonderkid at Barcelona, has already given his words of encouragement before the clash against Real Madrid as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo:
“[ El Clasico ] must be approached as the most important match of the season. [ We ] will give 200% because the league is all we have left, and winning at the Bernabéu would be a bonus for the entire squad to continue moving forward.”
“Closing the gap to 5 points would create insecurity for the rival. If they falter and we score points, we will be getting closer and closer,” he further added.
Talking about these kinds of games, Cubarsi highlighted his passion for them and just how important a victory could be for Barcelona:
“As a child, I always dreamed of playing in these matches because they are special with my lifelong club, and in this case, these 3 points will be very important.”
He further stated that he believes the work he has done so far at the club makes him feel proud, but he hopes to continue helping Barcelona:
“I feel proud and satisfied with the work I have done all these years. I want to be myself and help the team if I have the opportunity to play, and always give 200%.”
It is almost perplexing to see a player of his age speak with maturity like this. Other teams may have their own leaders, and even Barcelona have some in their dressing room, but the ability to stand as one despite just being aged 17 is truly a wonder to behold and a blessing for a disheartened Barcelona.
Ultimately, whatever the case may be, one thing works in the favor of Barcelona. With the likes of Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Alejandro Balde, Gavi, and other inspiring young gems, La Blaugrana seem destined for greatness in the future. For now, however, Barcelona must focus on redeeming themselves at the Santiago Bernabeu.
