A rookie goalie born in 2006 saved the day. FC Barcelona secured victory thanks to Marc Güell’s (17) fastest La Liga debut goal in club history.
Barcelona defeated Athletic Club 1-0 in the 10th round of the 2023-2024 La Liga at the Estadio Olimpique Luis Companís in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday (Sept. 23). The win extends Barcelona’s unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions and moves them into third place in the league with 24 points (7 wins, 3 draws).
Barcelona deployed a 4-3-3 formation. João Felix-Ferran Torres-Fermín López, Ilkay Gündoğan-Oriol Romeu-Gavi, Alejandro Valdez-Igo Martínez-Andreas Christensen-João Cancelo, and Marc-André ter Stegen started.
It was not an easy game. Barcelona capitalized on their high possession to get at the Athletic goal, but it didn’t pay off. In the 10th minute, Felix’s unstoppable run in the box hit the crossbar, and in the 14th minute, Fermin’s shot was saved by the keeper.
Athletic’s counterattacks were also fierce. Athletic utilized brothers Ignazio and Nico Williams on the wings to find space in the Barcelona backline, but neither could get past Thierry Henry.
With the score tied at 0-0, Xavi Hernandez made a change in the 34th minute of the second half, taking Firmino and Valdez off and bringing on Guiou and Marcos Alonso. Guiou has been dubbed the ‘next Lewandowski’ and is a promising youngster, but with no professional experience, it was a surprising choice.
Xavi’s mercenary tactics paid off. In the 35th minute of the second half, Gui entered the game, received a pass from Felix, slipped behind the defense, and beat the keeper with a calm right-footed shot. It took Guiú just 33 seconds to score after just two touches of the ball.굿모닝토토 도메인
Barcelona defended Guiú’s goal well and held on for a 1-0 win. With Robert Lewandowski out with an injury, it was a valuable three points.
Guiú also made Barcelona history. In his La Liga debut, he scored a goal just 33 seconds after being introduced, making it the fastest debut goal in the club’s history, according to soccer statistics site Squawka. It was a dream debut for the youngster, as he converted his first shot on goal in his professional career.
He also became Barcelona’s youngest ever debutant, scoring his first goal at the age of 17 years and 291 days. He said after the game, “I can’t breathe. I’m just enjoying the moment. I’m still flying,” he said after the game, sharing his overwhelming emotions.
“I’ve been working hard all season to take every opportunity that comes my way. I saw the goalkeeper coming off his line and decided to take the shot,” he said. “Coach Xavi told me to do the same thing I do in the youth team. He told me to do the same thing I do in the youth team, and to take every opportunity that came my way.”
“Guy can score goals, he has a spark. He is a player I personally like very much. We have a lot of talented players here in La Masia, so I have no hesitation in using youth players. Barcelona had the same faith in me when I was younger,” he said, explaining why he gave Guiú a chance.
Veteran midfielder Guindoan also sent his congratulations to Guiu, sharing his post on social media and writing, “Congratulations on your debut and first goal. I’m so happy for you. Keep up the good work,” he wrote, adding a 100-point emoji.