FC Barcelona had a very smooth day at Montjuïc, after defeating Sevilla 5-1 in a night filled with good football brought to the scene by the culés, thanks to the performance of Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre, each scoring twice, plus a goal from Pedri González. They managed to prevail against a Sevillian team in a match where the emotional highlight was Pablo Gavi's return, after more than 348 days inactive due to an injury (complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee and an associated injury in the lateral meniscus).
However, during the clash against the Sevillians, an event occurred that, probably for many, amidst the joys and emotions of the moment, went unnoticed but remains a fascinating event that highlights two things: FC Barcelona's ability to bet on its young talents and the fact that, regardless of their age, they are integrated as an important part of the team.
The surprising statistic that Barcelona showcased in the duel against Sevilla
At the end of the match against Sevilla, Barcelona ended up with a total of eight players under 23 in their lineup: Pau Cubarsí (17), Gavi (20), Alejandro Balde (21), Marc Casadó (21), Fermín López (21), Pablo Torre (21), Gerard Martín (22), and Pau Víctor (22). The only players above this age range were Iñaki Peña (25), Jules Koundé (25), and Iñigo Martínez (33), resulting in an average age of 22.5 years for the players on the field.
Furthermore, seven of the eleven players who ended up on the field in the match against the Sevillians come from La Masia: Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casadó, Fermín López, Pau Víctor, and Iñaki Peña, emphasizing once again Hansi Flick's ability to integrate culé youth players into his system, not only as substitutes but also as starters. In the game against Sevilla, in addition to Balde, Casadó, Cubarsí, and Peña, Lamine Yamal (17) and Ansu Fati (21) also received minutes from the start, both players who are also under 23 years old.