da fazobetai： The 17-year-old needed less than a minute to break Athletic Club hearts and help Xavi's side close the gap on Real Madrid at the top of the table
da bet7k： After 79 painful minutes from a cast of experienced players, Barcelona needed youth to salvage what could be a crucial La Liga win. Marc Guiu, making his club debut and second matchday squad appearance, bagged a late goal to give the Blaugrana a 1-0 victory after an otherwise frustrating contest.
Joao Felix should have put Barcelona ahead after 10 minutes, but clipped Ferran Torres' ball over the bar — despite having ample space. Fermin Lopez, too, came close, only to see an effort well denied by Unai Simon.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, meanwhile, had his moments in the Barca goal — notably diving to stop Nico Williams in the closing stages of the first half.
The Blaugrana had further chances in the second half. Simon denied Felix twice within the first 15 minutes. Torres had a shot blocked by a lunging defender. Fermin Lopez skied one from 10 yards out. Lamine Yamal dragged one outside the post shortly after coming on.
In the end, it was a teenage debutant that showed his team-mates how it's done. Guiu had been on the pitch for less than a minute when he burst in behind the Athletic defence, corralled a pass, and fired past Simon to give Barca a crucial victory that ensures they sit just one point behind Real Madrid ahead of next week's Clasico.
GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Olympic Stadium…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (7/10):
Forced into a trio of impressive saves in the first half. Will be happy with the clean sheet.
Joao Cancelo (7/10):
Doesn't have the best understanding with Torres, and didn't always connect well. He was much more effective when Yamal came on. Completed the most dribbles in the match.
Inigo Martinez (6/10):
Handed a rare start with Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo both out. Made one impressive block at the end of the first half. Had little to do in the second.
Andreas Christensen (6/10):
Covered well when Athletic looked to hit on the break, especially when Alejandro Balde pushed up. Removed after an hour. A solid shift.
Alejandro Balde (7/10):
Scampered forward on the left wing, and caused problems against Oscar de la Marcos. Looked tired toward the end of things, and was correctly removed.
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Oriol Romeu (5/10):
Passed sideways a lot, and didn't really stamp his authority on the game. Xavi probably made the right call to sub him off after an hour.
Gavi (7/10):
Picked up an obligatory booking, and created chaos in the middle of the park. A deeper role looks like it suits him.
Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):
Kept things ticking along, and always looked to find the incisive ball. An important player, even if he didn't score or assist.
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Ferran Torres (5/10):
Deployed on the right wing with Lamine Yamal unable to start after picking up an injury. Was lively, but not clinical enough in key areas. He has potential, but Xavi still doesn't seem to know where to use him.
Joao Felix (7/10):
Awkwardly forced into a central role, despite a series of impressive performances in attacking midfield. Looked far more effective when allowed to drop deeper in the second half.
Fermin Lopez (6/10):
Ran a lot, looked to create in a rare start. But he missed a couple of good chances. Likely won't be in the XI when Barca are back to full strength.
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Lamine Yamal (7/10):
Only available for 30 minutes after picking up an injury. Made things happen and really should have scored.
Ronald Araujo (6/10):
Didn't have much to do, but won a few headers.
Marc Guiu (9/10):
Scored with his second touch on his debut. Fairytale stuff from the 17-year-old.
Marcos Alonso (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Xavi (7/10):
Injuries forced him into a weakened XI, with Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Pedri and Raphinha all unavailable. His side were poor in front of goal for most of proceedings, but Xavi will now look like a genius for his introduction of Guiu.