Barcelona 1-0 Athletic Club – Teenager Marc Guiu goal snatches win for Barca

Unheralded youngster Marc Guiu scored with his first touches for Barcelona to secure a hard-fought 1-0 win against Athletic Club.

The 17-year-old came off the bench with 11 minutes of normal time remaining against Athletic, and was immediately sent clean through after making a great run down the inside-left channel.

And, after a first touch to set himself, the tall centre-forward slotted a fine finish beyond Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon to spark jubilant scenes in Barcelona. There were just 30 seconds between Guiu’s arrival on the pitch and his goal.

The youngster was a surprise inclusion on the bench for the match, having only previously made two full appearances for Barcelona B.

But the talented Spain Under-17 international’s moment of brilliance proved the difference on a night that saw chances go begging at both ends.

Victory for Xavi’s side moves them one point off the top of La Liga with the Clasico coming up next weekend.

Marc Guiu, remember the name. It’s fair to say that most fans weren’t expecting Guiu to come on in this game, let alone make the difference. But Xavi turned to the youngster after a game that had seen chances wasted by both teams in a tactically interesting encounter. And calling on Guiu proved a masterstroke.

His finish was exceptional and the remainder of his performance was classy too, if a little unpolished. Already over six foot tall, Guiu has physical attributes that suggest he’s going to be a very different sort of option for Barcelona going forward, and has potentially just promoted himself to be Robert Lewandowski’s deputy if a more traditional centre-forward is required.

Both goalkeepers were exceptional on the night, making a string of decent saves to keep the game goalless going into the final 15 minutes.

But the night won’t be remembered for good saves or the clever movement of both starting front threes. This game belongs to Guiu and the quality of his run and finish means he richly deserves the plaudits.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 8; Cancelo 6, Christensen 6, I.Martínez 6, Balde 7; Gavi 7, Romeu 6, Gündogan 6; Fermín 6, Ferrán 7, Félix 7. Subs: Yamal 6, Araujo 7, Guiu 9, Alonso 7

Athletic Club: Simón 8; De Marcos 7, Vivian 7, Paredes 7, Yuri 6; Herrera 6, D.García 6; Williams 7, Sancet 6, Williams Jr 8; Guruzeta 6. Subs: Lekue 7, Prados 6, Adu 6, Berenguer 6, Gomez 6

It’s time for some more subs as Barcelona freshen things up. On come Alonso and the statuesque youngster Guiu, replacing Fermin Lopez and Balde.

What an impact! Guiu scores with his first touches in Barcelona colours to break the deadlock, receiving the ball on the inside-left channel and shooting past the onrushing Simon. What a moment for the 17-year-old. Stunning!

• Barcelona are now unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Athletic in La Liga.
• The goal by Guiu makes him the youngest player to score on debut for Barcelona in over 23 years.