In the last competitive meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the March clasico that served as the fixture’s temporary farewell to Camp Nou while the stadium undergoes its rebuild, Lamine Yamal was still only 15 years old. He was several weeks from becoming Barca’s youngest senior debutant.
Fermin Lopez was still in his teens. He spent that spring weekend on the losing side for Linares, where he was on loan from Barca’s B team, playing in the third tier of Spanish football.
Marc Guiu, 17, was still getting over the emphatic elimination of Barcelona’s under-19s in last season’s Uefa Youth League by Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, who have a fine academy cohort but not one with the fame, the cachet, or the distinguished list of past graduates of La Masia, the Barca youth system.
Seven months on, that trio of youngsters are far better known. They can each look forward to the first clasico of the 2023-24 season, Saturday’s visit of Real Madrid to Barca’s borrowed, short-term home at Montjuic, with genuine hope of participating. They have timed their sudden ascents into grown-up, top-flight football perfectly.
On Wednesday night, at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, Fermin, now 20, made his first Champions League start, taking home plenty of special mementos. From his position in advanced midfield for Barca, Fermin struck the frame of the Shakhtar goal enough times to have scored a hat-trick.
Happily, one of those efforts pinged back off the post to Ferran Torres, who opened the scoring. Another struck an upright on its way in for Barca’s second goal in the 2-1 victory. It was Fermin’s second goal for the club within a month.
A win over Madrid would mean the Catalan club leapfrogging their rivals, the league leaders, in the table. The man – or rather the young lad – responsible for closing the gap to a single point ahead of the biggest clash in club football was Guiu.
Launched from the substitutes’ bench by Barcelona manager Xavi in search of a breakthrough at 0-0 against Athletic Bilbao with 11 minutes of normal time remaining last weekend, Guiu made the perfect first impression as a Barcelona debutant. He scored with his second touch of the ball.
It was a fairy-tale moment. Guiu, a striker, was born close to the city and has been attached to Barca’s youth system since he was seven.
Barca 2 Shakhtar 1: Player ratings
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BARCELONA PLAYER RATINGS: Didn’t have much to do apart from picking the ball out of his goal in the 62nd minute. AFP -
Displayed an attacker's instinct to get past Matvienko, but his shot was too weak to beat Riznyk from close range in the 24th minute. Pressed high up the pitch and got caught out of position in the build-up to Sudakov’s goal. EPA -
In a game where Barcelona completely dominated, one would expect Alonso to play a huge part in the final third. However, the Spain international struggled with his passes and failed to beat his man on numerous occasions. AFP -
A fairly comfortable outing for Araujo. Wasn’t tested in defence and looked threatening when he went forward to attack set pieces. AP -
Looked rusty in possession and wasn’t as solid as Araujo. Failed to get close to Sudakov quickly enough in the build-up to the away side’s goal. AFP -
Claimed the assist for the opener after his shot came off the post and into the path of Ferran Torres to hit home. Doubled Barcelona’s lead with a ferocious effort that cannoned off the post and into net in the 36th minute. Saw another effort come back off the post for the second time in the game in the 68th minute. EPA -
A busy outing for the combative Romeu in front of the home side’s backline. Did well to smother several counterattacks but was unlucky to play Azarov onside in the build to Sudakov’s goal. Won the ball back and played Fermin through on goal in the seventh minute. Reuters -
One of Barcelona’s best players on the night. His passing was a joy to behold, and he helped relieve pressure with his ball-retention skills late in the game. Began the move that led to the opener by pinging a pass behind the away side’s backline for Fermin Lopez. AFP -
Another eye-catching display from the 16-year-old on a Champions League night. Found in space on several occasions and caused plenty of problems for Azarov, but his finishing and crosses were poor. AFP -
Not the best of games for Felix, who was sloppy in possession and wasn’t at his sharpest in the penalty area. Forced Riznyk into a huge save with a flying header in the 49th minute. AFP -
Put the home side in front with a volley that left Riznyk rooted to the spot. Goalscorer turned provider for the second goal as he played Lopez through to make it two. EPA -
SUBSl (Alonso, 71) Picked up a yellow card four minutes after coming on. Provided greater cover in defence after coming on and did well in attack. AFP -
(Felix, 75) Combined well with teammates in attack after coming on but didn't have a chance to make it two goals in two games for Barca. AFP -
(Martinez, 82) Brought on to add solidity to the backline, Christensen defended well and helped secure the three points for the home side; Marc Casado (Fermin, 82) N/A. Didn’t really do much after coming on. EPA -
SHAKHTAR PLAYER RATINGS: Made a fantastic save to keep out Joao Felix’s diving header just after the restart. Almost gifted Barcelona a third goal when he fumbled a weak cross from Alonso in the path of Ferran Torres. EPA -
Failed to step up alongside his teammates and played Fermin Lopez onside in the build-up to Barcelona’s opener. Atoned for his error by assisting Sudakov’s goal with a well-weighted pass behind the Barcelona backline. AP -
Lost possession on the edge of his penalty area and almost gifted Barca an early goal. Created Shakhtar's best chance of the game with a beautiful cross across the face of goal, which wasn’t utilised by his teammates. EPA -
A solid outing from Bondar against Barcelona's fleet-footed attackers. The centre-back made several blocks in the second half as Barcelona tried to get a third goal to kill the game. Intelligent foul to stop Torres from running through on goal late in the game. AFP -
A solid outing from the impressive Matvienko. Stopped Gundogan from putting Barcelona in front with a last-ditch interception in the fifth minute. Made several blocks and tackles in the game. AFP -
Tasked with the difficult job of shielding the backline, Stepanenko struggled against the home side’s well-drilled midfield. Got close to making it 2-2 with a first-time effort that just went past Ter Stegen’s goal in the 81st minute. AFP -
Disappointing game from Kryskiv on the right side of Shakhtar's attack. Ran into trouble and failed to beat Cancelo when he was found in space on the stroke of halftime. EPA -
An encouraging display from the midfielder whose late runs into the penalty area caused Barcelona problems. Had Shakhtar's first shot on target with a deflected effort in the 12th minute. EPA -
Struggled to assert himself in attack and resorted to doing defensive work for the team. Tracked back well to stop Ferran Torres from making it three with a last-ditch sliding challenge in the 39th minute. Getty -
Tried to have a go at Ter Stegen in the 16th minute, but his shot was well blocked by Araujo. Crowned a blistering counterattack with a brilliant finish to bring the visitors back into the game. AFP -
An ineffective display from the centre forward during which he failed to trouble the home side’s centrebacks or test Ter Stegen in goal. Getty -
SUBS: (Kryskiv, 63) Had a go from long range in the 75th minute, but his effort went straight into the stands. Provided a huge spark for Shakhtar's attack and caused plenty of problems for Cancelo after coming on. AFP -
(Sikan, 71) Looked more lively than the ineffective Sikan and had a couple of half chances to make the difference but failed to trouble Ter Stegen in Barcelona’s goal. AFP -
(Stepanenko, 90) Came on too late to make an impact. AFP
Among the cherished memorabilia of his childhood is a photograph of him posing as a 10-year-old alongside Xavi from when the now Barca coach and former captain met him at a training clinic Xavi was overseeing.
Xavi is himself an exemplar of Barcelona’s home-grown excellence, a Catalan who developed in the club’s academy and went on to star for the first-team during its most successful era, the decade of four Champions League titles from 2006 onwards.
He was Barca’s captain for the last of those, in 2015. He was on the Ballon d’Or podium the one unique year when all three of the candidates with most votes for the award were La Masia graduates: Lionel Messi, who enrolled at Barca as a schoolboy having moved there from Argentina, won the 2010 honour, with Andres Iniesta and Xavi immediately behind him in the polling.
In that era, under the coaching of La Masia alumnus Pep Guardiola, Barca could – and did – line up an XI made up entirely of home-developed players.
But the influence of La Masia has dwindled for periods since, and the tendency since Messi departed in 2021 has been to bring in established, older stars from abroad: Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan were the marquee signings in the past two summers. Within the last year, enduring ambassadors of La Masia have also left, with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba joining Messi in Miami and Gerard Pique announcing his retirement.
But a combination of injuries – Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Pedri and long-serving academy-product Sergi Roberto are all coming off lay-offs with Pedri and Sergi both ruled out of the clasico – and a tightened budget mean Xavi has had to cover several positions from the club’s own youth stocks. “We’re proud of that,” said Xavi after the Shakhtar win. “In the squad for this game, we had 12 players who came through the academy.”
They have served him effectively. Of Barca’s last five Liga goals, four have come directly from La Masia graduates, younger ones in the cases of Guiu, Fermin and the 16-year-old winger Yamal, who scored their first senior goals against Mallorca and Granada respectively, and an elder statesman in the case of Sergi against Granada.
What’s more, although the clinching goal against Sevilla at the end of last month was a Sergio Ramos own goal, he was deflecting a Yamal header. “La Masia works,” declared a jubilant Guiu after his dream debut. “And the club has to make the most of it when it’s facing challenges.”
