Girona delivered one of the results of the La Liga weekend with a 2-1 victory over Barcelona at Montilivi, and Manchester City’s Claudio Echeverri played a decisive role from the bench.
The Argentine did not start. However, once introduced, he changed the dynamic of the match. In just 27 minutes, he was involved 14 times and created two scoring opportunities. Most importantly, he fought for the ball in the sequence that led to the decisive 2-1 goal.
After the match, Echeverri kept the focus on the collective performance. The Manchester City loanee’s quotes were relayed by Olé in Argentina.
“For me, Barcelona are the best team in the world right now. We knew we would suffer at some point because of the quality of players they have. But the team played very well, ran a lot, and that’s why we got the victory.”
He also reflected on his personal contribution to the winner.
“I tried to help and come in to support the team because we wanted to look for the victory. We also need points, and in that play with the push we were able to generate the goal.”
Spanish outlet Diario AS described him as explosive and a game-changer. They highlighted his quality in tight spaces and his directness in attack. Against Barcelona, that sharpness was clear.
Manager: “He has brutal talent”
As relayed by Spanish outlet AS, the Girona manager Míchel Sánchez was full of praise when discussing the youngster’s display.
“He’s a player with incredible talent. He spent half a year at Leverkusen without consistent playing time, and perhaps he needs to slow down a bit, but in terms of talent he’s phenomenal.”
Míchel then broke down the attributes that make him so dangerous.
“He plays in space, he’s clinical in front of goal, and we need to get him closer to the box. He’s also amazing in tight spaces; he has a great final pass, a blistering burst of speed and a powerful shot. Claudio has brutal talent. He’s going to give us a lot in these next few months.”
Girona had tried to secure his loan previously and eventually brought him in during the winter window. So far, he has featured in four matches, none as a starter. Still, his impact has been consistent.
Against Barcelona, however, the influence was impossible to ignore. The performance was not just promising – it directly helped secure three crucial points. Hopefully for Manchester City he’ll be able to keep up the pace and earn a future spot in sky blue.