Marc Guiu: Barcelona’s 17-year-old match-winner transforms his world in 23 seconds

“You’re going to get one probability, and also you’re going to attain it.”

With these phrases, Xavi despatched on 17-year-old substitute Marc Guiu for his Barcelona debut towards Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening.

Xavi’s crew had come into the sport with a number of key gamers injured: Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Raphinha and Sergi Roberto have been all lacking. Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde have been solely cleared to play on the day of the match. On the bench have been a number of youth crew gamers that few followers had heard of.

One in every of them was Guiu. There have been just below 10 minutes left for the house aspect to discover a objective. All he would want was 23 seconds.

Guiu entered the sphere instead of Fermin Lopez within the ahead line and shortly rushed into place. Barca had the ball on the again, and Inigo Martinez introduced it ahead. He handed to Joao Felix, who had carried the crew for a lot of the evening.

As quickly as Joao Felix picked up possession, Guiu made a run, his recent legs instantly discovering house behind the Bilbao defence, and as soon as the Portuguese discovered him, the teenager solely wanted two touches to seek out the online. Management together with his left, end together with his proper. Unai Simon was lastly overwhelmed.

Guiu ran off in a frenzy, arms outstretched to the sky, and all of the Barca gamers — these on the pitch and on the bench — rushed to affix the insanity. Within the dugout, Xavi hugged members of his teaching crew.

Within the stands, Lewandowski and De Jong have been celebrating too. In one other a part of the group, Guiu’s mom started to cry and scream, clutching her chair as she put her different hand to her chest and exclaimed: “That’s insane!” Guiu’s father, with an amused smile on his face, stood as much as applaud his son.

When the referee blew the ultimate whistle, Guiu dropped to the pitch, as if needing to make some important reference to the actual world. He coated his face between laughter and tears of pleasure — sure, this was truly taking place.

The TV cameras went in search of him. He stood up and obtained a strong embrace from Lopez and the opposite kids on the bench — Ander Astralaga, Hector Fort and Unai Hernandez — who had rushed in direction of him as soon as the sport was over.

Guiu was peering up into the stands, probably trying to find his household and desirous to share the second with them, too. And whereas everybody was treating him because the hero, he then went speeding over to Inaki Williams to ask for his shirt as a memento. Williams smiled, regardless of the defeat, and gave it to him.

“I can’t imagine it, I’m wanting breath,” Guiu stated on TV, his cheeks nonetheless purple from exertion. “I’m having fun with the second. That is unimaginable, however I’ve been working all my life to benefit from alternatives and it’s come to me.

“Inigo has instructed me I received’t be capable of sleep, however to take pleasure in it.”

Interviewed by David Villa on DAZN, Guiu confirmed his shyness by trying on the floor when Villa spoke, earlier than acknowledging, barely embarrassed, that he was one in every of his idols.

“La Masia works,” the teenager added. “An excellent job is being finished and it must be taken benefit of in troublesome moments for the membership like now.”

Guiu is a centre-forward from Barca’s youth academy. He joined when he was seven years previous. Regardless of being an everyday at numerous ranges for Spain — he was joint top-scorer at this summer time’s Beneath-17 European Championship, together with Yamal — he has not typically been spoken of as a participant destined for the primary crew.

However by way of onerous work and rising confidence, he has been climbing the ranks to succeed in this second. He’s quick and highly effective and good within the air. He performs for Barca’s under-17 ‘Juvenil A’ aspect and has been referred to as as much as some matches with Barcelona Atletic — the reserve crew that performs in Spain’s third tier — however will not be an everyday. New sporting director Deco is a giant fan.

“The entire membership ought to rejoice his objective,” Xavi stated after Sunday’s 1-0 victory. “It’s an indication that we’re working very effectively with the youth system.

“I can see the will to play in these boys’ faces; they’re by no means scared like my era. They have a look at me with want, telling me to play them, they have a look at me with positivity.”

Guiu’s starvation sealed the factors from what was a slightly drab sport. Enchancment might be wanted towards Shakhtar Donetsk within the Champions League on Wednesday and in Saturday’s dwelling Clasico towards Actual Madrid.

However whereas the crew is recovering from accidents, they will rejoice the emergence of an surprising match-winner, with time on his aspect.

(Prime picture: Josep Lago/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)