Pau Cubarsi was named Player of the Match in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Napoli (UEFA via Getty)
Owen Hargreaves tipped Pau Cubarsi as Barcelona’s future star after his performance in the 3-1 Champions League win over Napoli on Tuesday evening.
Xavi’s side drew 1-1 with Napoli in the first leg but goals from Fermin Lopez, Joao Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski have secured Barca’s place in Friday’s Champions League quarter-final draw.
Cubarsi, meanwhile, was handed his Champions League debut and the 17-year-old delivered a brilliant performance up against Napoli’s star striker Victor Osimhen.
‘He [Cubarsi] was the star of the show,’ Hargreaves told TNT Sports after Barcelona’s win.
‘Yamal’s different because he’s obviously the winger. This kid [Cubarsi] was picking out passes for fun, he made it look so easy.
‘He was physical when he needed to be, for a Spanish centre-back to be as physical against somebody like Osimhen is quite rare.
Pau Cubarsi kept Victor Osimhen quiet during Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Napoli (Reuters)
‘I thought his awareness, everything, he was just… 17 and his first start, he played ridiculously good.
‘That is a star, now and a star of the future.
‘I thought with Yamal he was the best player on the pitch.
‘He’s obviously completely different from [Carles] Puyol, [Gerard] Pique was brilliant but I think his long-range passing is better than either of those by far.
‘He’s unique, I think he’s very special, for 17 to play like that in a knockout game is rare.’
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle, who was working as a pundit alongside Hargreaves for TNT Sports, added: ‘Incredible performance, that.
‘We watched him all night, we were so impressed with him.
‘Look at this for a pass, just top quality, if that’s Ronald Koeman at his best, incredible, for 17.
‘As a defender to have that maturity, to cut across people, using his body to lean into them, he was shrewd, for 17 [he was playing] way above his age.’
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