Curbasi, 17, shines for Barcelona
Pau Cubarsi goes to be a celebrity.
The 17-year-old Barcelona defender had his hardest check thus far, developing towards a rampant Paris Saint-Germain assault which included Kylian Mbappe. Cubarsi solely made his LaLiga debut in January, two days earlier than his seventeenth birthday. This was solely his fifteenth first-team look and his second within the Champions League.
He would have change into the youngest participant to play in a Champions League quarter-final had team-mate Lamine Yamal, 16, not began as effectively.
However a surprising show noticed the defender unfazed by the event. Within the first half, no participant on the pitch had extra clearances and he ended the opening 45 with a 92.59 per cent passing accuracy.
Within the second half, he gained the ball again 5 occasions within the center and defensive thirds, solely Joao Cancelo and PSG’s Beraldo managed extra within the sport.
La Masia has been wonderful for Barcelona this season with Yamal, Fermin Lopez and Marc Guiu among the many names to interrupt by this time period. Gavi and Pedri are the massive names too. Add Cubarsi’s title to the checklist.
Sam Blitz
PSG present there’s life after Mbappe
Luis Enrique has been taking Kylian Mbappe off in essential Ligue 1 matches in current weeks as a result of he desires his PSG to practise enjoying with out their outgoing talisman.
Regardless of defeat to Barcelona, his staff have proven there’s a lot to them earlier than he leaves.
With Mbappe somewhat nameless, ending the sport with no shot on track, the opposite PSG attackers stepped as much as the fore. Ousmane Dembele seems able to take the important thing attacking mantle off Mbappe, whereas Bradley Barcola, nonetheless simply 21, was an impactful participant off the bench.
Essentially the most thrilling participant nonetheless is midfielder Vitinha, who put in an all-round show on the Parc des Princes. The Portugal worldwide accomplished all however certainly one of his 83 passes, together with 55 within the Barcelona half – he created the important thing likelihood which Dembele hit the put up and took his end brilliantly.
PSG will clearly be negatively impacted by Mbappe’s departure this summer time – however there’s a lot elsewhere for Luis Enrique to maintain creating this younger aspect.
Sam Blitz
Griezmann stays a delight
Antoine Griezmann remains to be among the finest gamers on the planet.
Few have the intelligence the Frenchman possesses – that’s the fantastic thing about Griezmann as a footballer, he reads a sport like no different and will even be getting higher with age. He ran the present on the Wanda Metropolitano, creating six possibilities within the match, together with the help for Samuel Lino’s aim. It was probably the most possibilities he is ever created in a single Champions League sport.
He isn’t blessed with lightning tempo or seems overly highly effective to the extent that opposition gamers suppose they’ve him lined however his guile and skill to vary a sport with a move or a chunk of talent makes him so harmful and a pleasure to look at. He can damage you at any second, from everywhere in the pitch.
Griezmann now has seven Champions League aim involvements for Atletico Madrid this season (5 objectives, two assists). With him on the coronary heart of Diego Simeone’s aspect, a semi-final spot is effectively inside their grasp.
Lewis Jones