The last La Liga match against Real Valladolid saw a number of changes in the FC Barcelona team. Xavi Hernandez took this match as an opportunity to give minutes to some of his fringe players.
One such player was the goalkeeper promoted from La Masia, Inaki Pena. It was a mixed night for the youngster, as he made his debut in La Liga for the club but had to suffer a defeat in his debut.
The young goalkeeper came onto the pitch at half-time, replacing Marc Andre Ter-Stegen, who had already conceded two goals. Thus, Pena was put in a difficult situation as the team was already down, and there was nothing significant to play for, the league already having been won by the Catalans.
Still, the keeper would be happy for the debut on the pitch after his 102 call-ups to the first team. He has already played for the first team in other competitions, but this was his first appearance in La Liga.
He officially debuted with the first team in November 2022, when he started the match against Viktoria Plzen in the last group stage match of the Uefa Champions League. The match ended 4-2 in favor of the Catalans.
The keeper played another two games following this debut, but both of these games came in the Copa del Rey. The first one was against Intercity in the round of 16, which ended 3-4 in Barcelona’s favor, and the next was against Ceuta in the quarter-finals, which ended in a clean sheet for him, and Barcelona scoring five goals.
Thus, Pena who has just recently renewed his current contract with the Catalan club until 2026 has seen another major milestone achieved with the club and would be looking for more chances, in more important games, in the upcoming season, and thus provide the club with a reliable backup for Ter-Stegen.
