FC Barcelona feasted against Newcastle United to advance to the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals, in a match where they thrashed them 7-2 (8-3 on aggregate) and confirmed they have a bright future ahead.
Two of the players who scored in the return leg played at Camp Nou are 18 years old: Lamine Yamal (45’+7) and Marc Bernal (18′), along with Fermín López, who is only 22 years old.
These are players who formed a historic lineup for the Barcelona squad, setting an age record with their starting XI in the Champions League knockout stage.
A promising future for Barcelona
With an average age of 25 years and 18 days, this was the youngest Barcelona starting XI ever in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, according to Opta Analyst.
In this same match, Lamine Yamal reached 10 Champions League goals at just 18 years old, becoming the youngest player to reach that mark and the youngest to score in back-to-back knockout matches in the competition.
To put it in perspective, only two other players have scored as teenagers in the Champions League: Kylian Mbappé (13 goals) and Erling Haaland (10 goals).
The big question now is whether this young Barcelona generation can bring the Champions League title back to the club, as they haven’t lifted the trophy since Lionel Messi and company did in 2015.
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