Since his debut under Xavi Hernandez, Pau Cubarsi has been more than exceptional for Barcelona and is reaching new heights under Hansi Fick this season.
Baby face assassin in front of the goal
Since he was 17 and despite just turning 18, this season Cubarsi has been an assassin in front of his goal, casually hunting down attackers. Whether it was Osimhen, Kane, Mbappe, or Vinicius, no one could escape Cubarsi’s judgement.
Forming the perfect duo with Mr. Offside
This season the best centre-back pairing for Hansi Flick has been veteran Inigo Martinez and the young prodigy Pau Cubarsi. Not just because of how perfectly they complement each other through Inigo’s experience and strength and Cubarsi’s ball-playing ability. They both share an elite understanding of Hansi Flick’s offside trap which is even more impressive for Cubarsi when you realize he is just 18.
Welcome back Pique
Pau Cubarsi is the best Centre-back to play for Barcelona in terms of ball-playing after Gerard Pique and to remind you again he has reached this status just at 18. Constantly breaking lines with his passes and finding midfielders and in behind runners like Raphinha and Fermin to provide assists Cubarsi breathes life into Barca’s attack from the back.
Lamine Yamal is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, however, in my opinion, what Cubarsi is doing week in and week out for Barca is more impressive. A winger is encouraged to take risks and not care about making mistakes as long as he gets a goal contribution he will be considered to have a good game. For a centre-back, the margin for error is way thin as one mistake can cost his team the game. This is why centre-backs tend to get better with age as they gain more experience and composure but Pau Cubarsi already plays like a veteran. If he was playing for an English club the media would have appreciated him way more.