The first team players complete a recovery session after yesterday evening’s victory at the Mestalla stadium

Sunday training will always seem easier when you’ve won the first available three points, courtesy of Barça’s great 1-2 win against Valencia in the first game of the new LaLiga season.

Thoughts turn to first match at home

The clock is already ticking. The blaugranes have now set their sights on the game on Saturday against Athletic Club at home. The match will be this season’s competitive debut at home in front of all the fans at the Estadi Olímpic, who will be hoping for a good win over a tough opponent.

Three 17 year olds in starting lineup

Three players aged under 18 start a match for Barça for only the second time this century

hey may not be old enough to drive, but they are old enough to play for the FC Barcelona first team. Very young homegrown players featuring for Barça may not be anything new, but it is still pretty amazing. The starting eleven against Valencia again proved that the Club has one of the most prized assets in world football in La Masia. Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Marc Bernal all started to make it the second time that Barça lined up to start a game with three players under 18 years old this century.

In fact, the blaugranes are the only team to do just that in the 21st century, and have now done so twice. The first time was in May 2024 with Xavi as coach, when Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Hector Fort were all named in the starting eleven to play Almeria.

First time with three U18s

It was towards the end of the 23/24 season, when Xavi Hernández’ side took to the pitch at the Power Horse Stadium with three players aged under 18 years old in the starting eleven. Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Hector Fort were entrusted by the Catalan coach to help the team overcome the Andalusian side, and they did just that, also thanks to a brace by another young player in Fermín López.

Flick shows bravery with first selection

Aware of the assets he has to hand, Hansi Flick showed no fear of making the most of them. The German coach believes in La Masía and in the quality of the young players, which was very evident during the first LaLiga game against Valencia. Flick’s side had the youngest average age for a coach’s first competitive match at just 24 years and 302 days old, even when looking as far back as when Guardiola first took charge. The top 2 and 3 are completed by Xavi’s side aged an average of 25 years and 193 days old, and Guardiola’s side aged 27 years and 58 days old.

Furthermore, he is the coach who included the most players aged under 18 years old in his first competitive team. Guardiola, Tito Vilanova, Tata Martino and Valverde didn’t include any. Quique Setién started Ansu when he was 17 years and 80 days old, as did Koeman, with the player then 17 years and 332 days old. Xavi was even more courageous, including two in Akhomach (17 years and 218 days old) and Gavi (17 years and 107 days old). However, Flick now holds the record with three players aged under 18 years old, namely Cubarsí (17 years and 208 days old), Lamine Yamal (17 years and 35 days old) and Marc Bernal (17 years and 83 days old).