FC Barcelona won their match against Unionistas de Salamanca with a 3-1 scoreline and paved their way to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Torres, Kounde, and Balde scored the three goals for the Catalan side, and, hopefully, this win can turn around the team’s form going forward.
While these three players got their names on the scoresheet, there was another player on the pitch that night who will remember this match more fondly than anyone else. This is the defender Pau Cubarsi, who made his first-team debut on that night and also gave the assist for Kounde’s second goal.
Making his debut with the Barcelona first team is a dream that only a few individuals can achieve, and Pau Cubarsi did that at only 16 years of age. However, the youngster did not show too many signs of emotion in the match, and put in a serene, calm, and efficient performance.
Still, there might be even more in store for the youngster, as SPORT reports that the youngster has a good chance of making another appearance with the first team in the match against Real Betis. Cubarsi has already been named in the squad announced for the upcoming La Liga match.
Andreas Christensen was unable to train with the rest of the team and was not included in the squad for the Real Betis match. This, with the absence of other key defenders, including Joao Cancelo, Inigo Martinez, and Marcos Alonso, opens the way for Cubarsi to get on the field once again under Xavi.
For this match, Xavi has three possible options for his backline. Firstly, he can play Sergi Roberto on the right flank, and play Araujo and Kounde in the centre. Secondly, he can play Kounde in the right-back position, and play Cubarsi with Araujo. Lastly, he can also play Hector Fort on the flank.
The last option is the least likely to be opted for by Xavi, especially after Xavi showed his delight with Cubarsi’s performance after the match against Unionistas. The defender will turn 17 on the coming Monday, and getting his first start on Sunday will well be a gift he never forgets.
