BREAKING NEWS: coming live from Fabrizio Romano, FC Barcelona manager Xavi lauded a brilliant star player, who he said was the “next big thing” in football. The player was unstoppable in the superb Champions League win against Napoli to qualify for the quarterfinals, and his exquisite skills were mesmerizing to watch. Xavi said that the player had bright prospects ahead of him, and was destined for greatness. Xavi Labels Star as ‘Next Big Thing’ After Brilliant Performance – ‘Unstoppable’ in ‘Superb’ Champions League Win”.
Barcelona fans were delighted with the performance of their academy graduate Pau Cubarsi in the team’s victory over Napoli in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg. Following a 1-1 draw in Naples, Barcelona secured a 3-1 win at home (4-2 on aggregate) to progress to the quarterfinals. Cubarsi, aged 17, made his Champions League debut in the second leg, playing the entire 90 minutes alongside Ronald Araujo in central defense.
Having joined La Masia from Girona’s youth team in 2018, Cubarsi has appeared in all 12 of his senior career matches for Barcelona during the ongoing season. He impressed by containing Napoli’s attacking threats, making five recoveries, five clearances, and winning all three of his attempted tackles. Additionally, Cubarsi showcased his composure on the ball, completing 90% of his 68 passes attempted. Barcelona supporters took to social media platforms to commend the performance of the Spanish U17 international.
One fan expressed, “Cubarsi had a fantastic game.”
Barcelona’s victory over Napoli marked their first two-legged UEFA Champions League knockout tie win since the 2019-2020 season. Notably, their previous success in such a tie was also against Napoli (4-2 on aggregate) before their subsequent elimination by Bayern Munich (2-8) in the following round. Fermin Lopez stood out in their recent triumph against Napoli, contributing significantly to the victory. The 20-year-old central midfielder opened the scoring at home by converting Raphinha’s pass inside the box in the 15th minute. Two minutes later, Joao Cancelo doubled their lead before Amir Rrahmani reduced the deficit at the half-hour mark. Robert Lewandowski sealed the win seven minutes from time, securing Barcelona’s progression to the next stage of the competition.
Reflecting on his performance, Lopez expressed his elation, stating, “The night can’t get any better. Barça is the club of my life since I was a child, and it’s a dream come true to score a goal and go through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.” Lopez featured for 60 minutes in the second leg against Napoli, registering four shots and creating two scoring opportunities for his teammates. He now boasts five goals and an assist in 31 appearances across various competitions this season.
