Xavi went crazy with Fermín’s goal, which opened his way to the Champions League quarterfinals after beating Naples (3-1). He jumped for joy and then went to the bench to celebrate with his staff. But that immense joy of the Barça coach was overcome with the 2-0, the work of João Cancelo, but worthy of entering the catalog of perfect counterattacks. Despite the left post of Meret’s goal, he spit out Raphinha’s poisoned shot, a fundamental piece in Barça’s two goals. Xavi couldn’t stop jumping and jumping with joy in the technical area, and rightly so, because his game plan had turned out perfectly. At the beginning. At the end.
Not even a quarter of an hour and 2-0 illuminating the Montjuïc light, which was visited by 50,301 spectators. The best entry of the season for the best football seen on the Olympic mountain. “We have received a lot of unfair criticism,” said the coach in a vindictive tone. “But the team has shown that it is ready to compete in Europe, it has been excellent in many facets of the game,” a proud Xavi later said.
Two goals in 121 seconds
Vertical, happy, dynamic and daring game dismasting a scared Naples. Thus came the two goals, separated by just 121 seconds, with barely any time for the Italians to get up from the first blow. When they realized they had already received the second, a prologue to a festive night in Montjuïc.
Pau Cubarsí, with his head raised, looks for a partner despite pressure from Politano. / Jordi Cotrina
While a child of 17 years, 1 month and 21 days was offering a defensive clinic. No, you don’t have to look at his age. Nor his teenage face, who is not allowed to get his driver’s license yet. He is not of age. And he studies ESO. But he behaved as if he had been playing Champions League games all his life. Well no. It was his debut in the major European competition. Who’d say!
“Brutal ball delivery”
“It’s a spectacle to see him play. He never gets nervous, he has a very calm personality, with a brutal ball delivery,” said the coach about Cubarsi. And supported by the youthful acne of that child from Girona, the coach decided to look to the bench to rescue the captain.
“It’s a spectacle to watch Cubarsí play. He never gets nervous, he has a very calm personality, with a brutal ball delivery”
Sergi Roberto had not played since January and appeared to be decisive in the second half when the ‘sacred cows’ acquired the prominence that was required and appropriated of them. Gündogan invented a pass to start the play for 3-1. The German tore through the Italian defense with a superb pass to find Sergi Roberto, who spotted Lewandowski’s figure in the small area, sealing the convincing Barça victory.
Fermín and Cancelo celebrate the 2-0 scoreline scored by Barça against Naples in Montjuïc, the work of the Portuguese. / Jordi Cotrina
“Sergi, Oriol and João Félix have given us freshness. What this team has done has a lot of merit,” said the coach, who was running madly with the band. His assistants, too. The substitutes joined this gigantic collective celebration that brought together 50,301 fans, although 3,000 were Italian. “It has been one of the best days of my life, we are in the quarterfinals after four years,” said the boy, who was chosen the best of the night.
2024-03-12 23:09:25
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