International Soccer
From Christensen to Cubarsí: The controversial plays of Barsa vs Napoli in the Champions League
Although Barcelona qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the match once morest Napoli was not free of controversy.
FC Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí fights with Nigerian Victor Osimhen, from Napoli, during the second leg of the round of 16. (Free Press Photo: EFE)
On March 12, FC Barcelona, led by Xavi Hernández, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Champions League by beating Napoli 3-1 in the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
It was thanks to the goals scored by Fermín López, Joao Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski that the culé team achieved the ticket to the round of the best 8 teams in Europe following four years; However, the duel on March 12 once morest Napoli was not free of controversy since there were up to two plays that were commented on by opposing Barcelona fans.
The first of those occurred in the 20th minute: Andreas Christensen, in his attempt to clear a ball, swept hard and hit Stanislav Lobotka’s ankle. The Italian team player quickly felt the impact and needed treatment on the pitch. Lluís Companys.
Many expected Barcelona’s Dane to receive a red card, but referee Danny Makkelie gave him a yellow card, much to the relief of Xavi and the Barça fans.
By the time this action took place, the match was already 2-0 in favor of Barcelona and Napoli was the team that had the initiative through its attackers. Shortly following, the Neapolitan score came from Rrahmani.
The second controversial play of the match occurred in the second half and was carried out by the player who was named player of the match; the youth Pau Cubarsí, who debuted in the Champions League at 17 years old.
The teenager faced Victor Osimhen one-on-one throughout the match and it was in the 50th minute when the Spaniard blocked the Nigerian and he fell inside the area. Napoli demanded a penalty, but the referee was firm in his decision and said that there was no foul.
Finally, Cubarsí was recognized with the award for best player of the match by UEFA in what was his debut in the Champions League. To complement the youth’s performance, Barcelona highlighted that it became the first team in history to field two players under 18 years of age in a direct elimination match.
Lamine Yamal (16 years and 246 days) and Pau Cubarsí (17 years and 50 days) are those who make up this list.
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