A semi-final exodus from the Copa del Rey on a 4-3 aggregate shouldn’t be a cause for celebration. Yet, the Camp Nou was filled with pride as Barcelona dispatched Atlético Madrid 3-0 in one of the most comprehension wins of the season. The optimism and positivity that followed the cup exit has a lot to do with the sustainable parts of the victory which revolve largely around three teenagers.
Of course, with any good bit of Barça news there always comes some bad. Now the Blaugrana will now have to manage the month of March with Frenkie de Jong, Alejandro Balde, and Jules Koundé. The latter two went down to hamstring injuries against Atléti.
Word of the Month: Sustainability
Sustainability is the key word of discussion moving forward. After the injuries to the full-backs and the level of exhaustion painted on the faces of Pedri and Raphinha at the full-time whistle, it’s hard to imagine that the level of intensity that the Blaugrana delivered is sustainable. It’s no coincidence that alongside those lung-busting runs and desperate transition defending came the best counterpress that Culers have seen this season. Lamine Yamal, who most would say is the weak pressing link up top next to Ferran Torres and Raphinha, had seven ball recoveries in the match. Seven. The intensity of a knockout match screaming out for a comeback may not be sustainable, but some of the foundational offensive work may be.
Without Balde and Koundé, Hansi Flick is going to have to get creative over the next few weeks. Xavi Espart recently returned from injury with Barça Atlétic and was called up to first team training. In theory, a backline of Gerard Martín-Pau Cubarsí-Ronald Araújo-Eric García would make a ton of sense, but Flick hasn’t found a way to incorporate Araújo back into the fold as a starter. That choice from Flick could also be due to the player’s wishes as well. Marc Casadó is another alternate, but he only played that position under Xavi and Flick hasn’t adopted the same idea.
Truthfully, Culers will get a healthy reminder of the offensive highs and potentially defensive lows of João Cancelo. Cancelo and Eric can both play on either flank, so Flick could have an element of surprise depending on the opposition. Between Martín, Eric, and Cancelo, Barça will likely have enough to survive the full-back crisis, but there will certainly be warts.
Comparing La Masia: 1987 vs. 2007
Despite the full-back problem, Marc Bernal and Lamine Yamal, plus Cubarsí, put in performances that don’t make sense for players born in 2007. They were so good against Atléti in fact that it has brought up the notion that they could go down in Barcelona history as the best generation from La Masia of all-time. That is a lofty claim when considering the class of 1987. Maybe the caveat should be instead: when all is said and done, the class of 2007 could potentially make more total first team appearances for FC Barcelona than the class of 1987.
That would mean that between Lamine Yamal, Bernal and Cubarsí, they would need to make more appearances than Lionel Messi (778 and 1st all-time), Gerard Piqué (616 and 5th all-time), and Cesc Fàbregas (151), plus Victor Vázquez (3) and Marc Valiente (2). The Class of ’87 also featured a number of professionals through the divisions and leagues, including Roger Giribet, Frank Songo’o, and Julio de Dios.
All About the Depth
While the top part of the class of ’87 did much of the heavy lifting, the class of ’07 still have time and plenty of other players that could push their way into the first team. Jofre Torrents has already made the same number of first team appearances as Vázquez, while Xavi Espart and Juan Hernández have been on Flick’s bench a number of times this season awaiting their debuts. Andrés Cuenca, now on loan at Sporting Gijón, made his senior debut last season in the Champions League against Young Boys.
Between Juvenil A and Barça Atlétic, any of Landry Farré, Quim Junyent, Leo Saca, Hafiz Gariba, newly arrived Álex González and Juwensley Onstein, Lovro Chelfi, Shane Kluivert, Guillem Víctor, or goalkeeper Eder Aller could find themselves needed in the coming seasons. The true strength of this generation from La Masia may actually be its depth. Though being headlined by Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí, and Bernal isn’t so bad either.
For more on the debate and comparison, check out the latest episode of The Barcelona Podcast:
