A debut, two touched balls and three points. More effectiveness, impossible. Marc Guiu, until a few hours or a few minutes before, unknown to the vast majority of Montjuïc, achieved what no one had been able to in a duel of circumstances and emergencies for Barça due to their losses. And he did it when the clock was ticking for the Blaugrana, whose youth team continues to bear fruit. The 17-year-old boy played Lewandowski, injured, to defeat the historic Athletic, to add the sixth straight victory at home and to put Barcelona within one point of the League lead.
Stuck in the face of a brave approach from Ernesto Valverde, who knew Montjuïc well from his two years on the Espanyol bench, Xavi took a gamble with his irreverent commitment to young people. With Lamine Yamal he attacked better with three pure forwards, with Marc Guiu he took the points with his dream debut. A great premiere in which the youth appropriated the glory as in a Hollywood movie.
Without Lewandowski, Barcelona started without a clear 9. There was no reference, since Ferran Torres occupied the right wing, João Félix fell to the left while Fermín, a false winger, was actually the fourth midfielder. The idea began to be beneficial for the Blaugrana, who thus surprised the Basque defense, which was expecting a more orthodox attack from its rival.
With this system of position swaps and continuous movements, Barça created two good arrivals on both sides that almost gave them an advantage on the scoreboard. Ferran did damage in speed after a great change of orientation by Iñigo Martínez. The Valencian crossed into the heart of the area, where João Félix appeared to finish first. The crossbar left him without a goal.
Shortly after it was Gündogan who opened on the left for Balde’s run. The back pass from the winger was for João Félix again but an obstruction prevented him from reaching it. Fermín did hit but his shot was deflected by Unai Simón with his foot and Ferran Torres did not reach the rebound.
Barcelona was too comfortable and Valverde rectified his plan to play with the Williams brothers on the wing to copy the model with which Celta, Mallorca and Granada created problems for Barça. Iñaki went to the center and almost paired up with Sancet to have a two against two with Iñigo and Christensen in the possible counterattacks. Gavi and Romeu earned yellow for preventing Athletic from running.
But the truth is that every time the pressure from the people of Bilbao took effect, the Blaugrana had to retreat in a hurry, threatened by the red-and-white bullets. If the start of the match was local, the end of the first half belonged to the visitors, who forced Ter Stegen to intervene to preserve the 0-0. Before the break, the German showed a great hand to Iñaki Williams and a miraculous foot to a cross kick to his little brother. The two opportunities were very clear, the first canceled due to offside.
The rest suited Barcelona well, perhaps because they returned to their essence. Especially since the entrance of Lamine Yamal and Araújo. With the youth winger, the team was more academic. The teenager opened the right wing, Ferran went to the center and João Félix stood on the left. With the entire front occupied, Barça intimidated and the arrivals followed one another. But a defender always crossed the line (Dani García against Ferran), there was an inopportune slip (Félix in front of Unai Simón) or the ball brushed against the post (Lamine Yamal).
Cancelo also tried but Xavi had already decided to take his chances with the youngest player he had left on the bench, another youth player, another striker. Marc Guiu, with his long legs, replaced Fermín. And the rest is a fairy tale. Because João Félix went down and filtered a deep pass to uncheck behind the defense. In the race, the powerful Guiu stood in front of the goalkeeper, controlled and shot low to beat the starting goalkeeper of Athletic and the senior Spanish team. With 17 years. In his debut. On the first occasion of him. On the second ball he touched. He had only been on the grass for half a minute.
The injured Lewandowski, in the stands, even stood up to applaud his apprentice. Xavi celebrated it with rage. Barcelona defeated Athletic and will have a chance to advance against Madrid in Saturday’s classic thanks to an unexpected hero.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Christensen (Araújo 59), Iñigo Martínez, Balde (Marcos Alonso 79), Oriol Romeu (Lamine Yamal 59), Gündogan, Gavi, Ferran Torres, Fermín (Marc Guiu 79) and João Félix
Coach: Xavi Hernández
Athletic: Unai Simón, De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Yuri (Lekue 26), Dani García (Unai Gómez 77), Ruiz de Galarreta (Prados 67), Iñaki Williams, Sancet, Nico Williams (Alex Berenguer 77) and Cruzeta (Adu Ares 67)
Coach: Ernesto Valverde
Stadium: Lluis Companys (38,194 spectators).
Referee: Martinez Munuera (c. Valencian)
Cards: Amarillas for Gavi, Dani García, Oriol Romeu, Adu Ares, Marc Guiu and De Marcos.
Goal: Marc Guiu (80).
