Every single FC Barcelona player this season has been expected to pull their weight irrespective of what team the club faces. Under Hansi Flick’s mentorship, several players have even improved and found their best versions yet. Through this combination of individual quality and collective brilliance, Barcelona have become a team to be reckoned with this season.
The most recent game against French side Brest in the UEFA Champions League, for instance, clearly highlighted the fact that this team can perform at an incredible level together if all the players understand their roles well and execute what they are asked to do properly. Even then, however, some players definitely do manage to stand out.
After the final whistle blew on a game that Barcelona won 3-0 at the Montjuic Stadium, the MVP award went towards 17-year-old defender Pau Cubarsi, despite the fact that there were many players in the game who would have felt like they had a good shout of being deserving winners as well.
However, as SPORT highlights, Cubarsi played a near perfect game in terms of his role and the directions given to him by Hansi Flick. While most people already know that the young defender possesses a rather surprising level of footballing awareness and intelligence, this particular performance showcased that clearly and much more as well.
With this MVP award to his name, Cubarsi has now managed to be named the most valued player in two separate Champions League games. The first of the two ended up coming his way last season, after his immense display against Napoli in the second leg of the Round of 16 that Barça ended up winning 3-1.
In this game against Brest, however, Cubarsi’s statistics back up the claims that hail him as the best performer in the game. With 120 passes completed, the young Spaniard had an amazing success rate of 96%. Moreover, he also completed 13 out of the 15 long balls he played, clearly showcasing great precision and a confidence to try the most outrageous plays.
He also won 5 out of the 8 duels he contested for, and it was clear to see that the young defender was impressive for Barcelona both in ball progression and his defensive actions as well. Now a full veteran for the Barcelona first team, the La Masia talent has already established himself as a guarantee for Hansi Flick as well.
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Picture shows FC Barcelona's badge displayed on a wall of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 13, 2015.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 20: Pedri of FC Barcelona looks on during the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on October 20, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN - OCTOBER 06: Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona, reacts prior to the LaLiga match between Deportivo Alaves and FC Barcelona at Estadio de Mendizorroza on October 06, 2024 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
Having played more than 40 games for the Barcelona first team already, Cubarsi has a lot of experience under his belt despite his young age. In total, he has already played 3432 minutes for the first team, and his consistency across his time under both Xavi Hernandez and Hansi Flick has been a truly special sight to see.