Pau Cubarsi Lamine Yamal Marc Bernal of Barcelona
Pau Cubarsi Lamine Yamal Marc Bernal of Barcelona
Everything about the game said FC Barcelona needed a miracle. A four-goal deficit to recover from, at the very least, against one of Spain’s most defensively astute opponents seemed like a stretch even for this Hansi Flick team that seemingly made the impossible look inevitable.
Despite the team having their backs against the wall, the Spotify Camp Nou believed even before the first whistle. Fans turned up in huge numbers to ensure that the stadium was at its loudest it had been since reopening.
Football often doesn’t churn up the story that everyone expects, and that night against Atletico Madrid was no different.
In a 3-0 win that still sent Barcelona out 4-3 on aggregate, the truest and most poetic story of the night belonged to three La Masia boys born in 2007: Marc Bernal, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal, each of them putting in a masterclass against Diego Simeone’s side.
This, among many other things, is what made the game feel larger than the result. Yes, the club didn’t complete the comeback, but a reflection on the game didn’t feel like an obituary.
It sounded like a statement that when this Barcelona team plays at its best, they can beat anyone in Europe, and it was written by the La Masia class of 2007.
This was years in the making. That shared history matters because it gives the night depth.
Lamine, Cubarsi and Bernal first played together for the U12 side back in 2018/19 and were instrumental in winning every league match they played in. The former finished as the top scorer, while the other two were equally instrumental in their own way.
Subsequently, the trio got back together in the 2019/20 season, this time for the U14B side and then at the U14A side in the 2020/21 season, growing, maturing and developing together and learning the same football language.
Bernal had been at Barcelona since he was six years old, Lamine since he was seven, and Cubarsi a little later.
This is why their connection against Atletico felt like one of the best romantic stories a writer could conjure. It was not just three youngsters enjoying a good evening coincidentally.
It was the comfort of a relationship that had been built over years and now, simply transferred into the biggest stage of them all.
Marc Bernal, Barcelona player
A new star in the making. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Bernal was the pulse of it. Technically, a holding midfielder is expected to bring balance to the game, read danger early and close down opposition attacks at their source. Bernal did that to perfection and did much more.
He gave Barcelona hope, scoring twice on a night when goals were the only currency that mattered.
The opener arrived in the 30th minute, after Lamine glided past two defenders on the left wing and fired a low cross for Bernal to convert, in a manner that would make Robert Lewandowski proud.
Bernal doubled his tally in the 72nd minute to give the stadium hope that a comeback might be on the cards. Despite these excellently taken goals, his performance on the night was much bigger than just that.
Bernal dominated the midfield. He emerged as the metronome and covered for Frenkie de Jong’s absence. It was the first time since his ACL injury that he played the entire 90 minutes in the game.
Flick asked him if he wanted to be substituted around the 65th to 70th minute. He refused to continue to help the team.
After everything he has had to overcome in his short career so far, there was something special about how the night played out for him. It was a serene performance that underlined his authority.
Pau Cubarsi of FC Barcelona
The rising star. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Then, there was Cubarsi, of whom a lot has been said about this season. All of 19 years old, and playing in one of the most demanding positions in football, where players tend to mature better with age, he reminded everyone that he is a generational talent, against Atletico.
To say Cubarsi was a wall in the defence would be an understatement. Often, especially as the game reached its dying embers, he was the only one left behind to help Barça out defensively and yet, he did not lose one duel or mistime one tackle in the entire 90 minutes.
Every time there was a turnover, he stepped in at the right time, recycled the ball with precision and put Barcelona back on the front foot almost immediately.
The teenage La Masia gem timed his recovery runs to perfection, played the offside trap with conviction and didn’t look daunted, even against a physically imposing Sorloth.
Being a central defender is an art that many older than him still struggle to master. While Cubarsi belongs to the youth, his performance against Atletico Madrid suggests that his decisions are far beyond.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
The superstar. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
And then, inevitably, to complete the trident, Lamine Yamal. Unlike the other two, who are still very much in the bracket of top prospects, the Spanish attacker is already regarded as one of the best footballers in the world.
Barcelona knew going into the game against Atletico that if there was any chance of making the comeback happen, Lamine had to do something very special on the night.
And, despite having three men on him almost throughout the game, every single time the game seemed to be slipping from Barcelona’s grasp, the teenager wrestled it back.
His most telling contribution was his assist for the first goal, which kick-started the proceedings. His feint to get past two defenders and to deliver an inch-perfect low cross into the box is a testament to his ability to create something out of nothing.
Throughout the night, the wing-wizard continued to create chances and was perhaps unlucky not to end the game with more assists against his name, thanks to some disappointing finishing from Ferran Torres. Little by little, he tried to egg his team on.
After the game, Hansi Flick praised his side for giving 100% to the cause and insisted he was proud of his players. That pride makes sense, not because the elimination is acceptable, but because of how a young side responded to adversity.
If Barcelona go on to do special things in La Liga and the Champions League this season, fans would look back at this victory at the Spotify Camp Nou as the catalyst to their resurgence.
So yes, the tie is lost, and Barcelona won’t be making it to the finals of the Copa del Rey this season. However, the ‘almost comeback’ will be remembered for a long time to come.
On one loud, beautiful and yet painful night at the Camp Nou, La Masia’s class of 2007 turned a cup elimination into a statement performance.
Bernal was the heart, Cubarsi was the spine, and Lamine was the brain. Together, they formed an excellently functioning motor system that served a glimpse of what is to come in the future.
Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona
Marcus Rashford and Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona