Barcelona, Spain – In an electrifying LaLiga encounter, 17-year-old Marc Guiu, a rising star from Barcelona’s youth academy, etched his name in the club’s history books by scoring on his debut. Guiu’s late strike secured a thrilling 1-0 home victory over Athletic Bilbao and catapulted Barcelona to third place in the league standings, a mere point behind arch-rivals Real Madrid in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated Clasico next week.
Guiu seized the limelight when he pounced on a well-placed pass at the edge of the box, delivering a precise low shot that left goalkeeper Unai Simon with no chance. Remarkably, Guiu notched his first league goal quicker than any other player in Barcelona’s storied history.
After the win, Barcelona climbed one spot to claim 24 points, closing in on Real Madrid, who were held to a 1-1 draw against Sevilla on Saturday. Manager Xavi Hernandez commended Athletic Bilbao’s relentless pressure and acknowledged that Barcelona had to overcome significant challenges to secure the victory. He praised the spirited performance of his squad, saying, “If anyone deserved the victory, it was Barcelona.”
Despite missing key players due to injury, including Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, and Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona displayed more possession but created fewer scoring opportunities than the visitors in the first half. Their best chance in the opening 45 minutes saw Joao Felix rattling the crossbar just ten minutes into the game.
Athletic Bilbao posed a significant threat to Barcelona’s defense, with Inaki Williams testing goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who made a crucial save. Ter Stegen’s heroics continued as he denied Nico Williams just before half-time.
Unfortunately, Bilbao lost their left-back, Yuri Berchiche, due to an ankle injury in the first half.
The second half witnessed a livelier Barcelona attack, but Simon, Spain’s goalkeeper, denied Joao Felix twice, and it seemed Bilbao might secure a draw. However, Barcelona’s teenage sensation, Guiu, had other plans.
In the 80th minute, mere seconds after replacing Fermin Lopez, Guiu stole the spotlight, scoring a momentous goal. At 17 years and 291 days old, he became the youngest player to score on his LaLiga debut for Barcelona in the 21st century. Overwhelmed by the achievement, Guiu expressed his elation, stating, “I can’t believe it. I’m out of breath, enjoying the moment.” He added, “This is unimaginable. I’ve been working all my life to take advantage of opportunities, and it’s come to me.”
Guiu’s goal was the difference-maker and the highlight of the match, as he outwitted the formidable Unai Simon with a poised finish. His extraordinary debut will surely be etched in the annals of Barcelona’s history.
Looking ahead, Barcelona faces Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday before the highly anticipated clash against Real Madrid next Saturday.
