Barcelona delivered a stunning 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, largely due to the outstanding performances of three young midfielders.
While Raphinha deserves recognition for his impressive hat-trick, the foundation of Barcelona's success lay in the relentless efforts of Marc Casado, Pedri, and Fermin Lopez in midfield.
All three players are only 21 years old, with two of them fortunate to be included in the lineup.
Spanish football analyst Guillem Balague noted on the BBC MOTD Champions League Highlights show that if Barcelona had the financial resources, they would have signed Bernardo Silva and retained Ilkay Gundogan, who would have taken the places of some injured players like Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Frenkie de Jong, leaving only Pedri secure in his position.
Instead, Casado and Lopez are stepping up alongside Pedri, gradually making a name for themselves.
They successfully contained Bayern's seasoned trio of Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, and Joao Palhinha, who collectively hold 21 league titles, suggesting that Barcelona may have discovered an ideal midfield combination.
