Magnificent Marc Guiu, 17, Shatters Records with Explosive Debut for Barcelona!
Marc Guiu, at the tender age of 17, etches his name in Barcelona's history books In a mere 23 seconds on his debut, he scores the winning goal against Athletic Bilbao, becoming the youngest ever player to do so for the club A momentous achievement for the promising talent
Teenager Marc Guiu made history for Barcelona by scoring on his debut in the team's 1-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao, taking only 23 seconds to do so. Guiu, who came on as a substitute in the second half, had an immediate impact as João Félix set him up for a goal, which he confidently shot past Unai Simón.
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At 17 years and 291 days old, he became the youngest player to score on his debut for Barcelona.
"I can't breathe. I'm savoring this moment, still flying," Guiu expressed after the game. "Throughout the season, I've been diligently preparing myself to seize any opportunities that may arise. When I noticed the goalkeeper advancing, I made the choice to take the shot."
Simón had been outstanding for Bilbao thus far, preventing multiple goals with his impressive saves. He thwarted Fermín López in the first half using his feet and made a remarkable double save later in the second half when Félix and López were seeking to score the first goal of the game.
Félix had grazed the top of the bar at the start of the match, while 16-year-old Lamine Yamal also missed a good chance to put Barcelona ahead.
Félix competes for the ball against Bilbao.
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With only 10 minutes left on the clock, it was a different young player who secured the win for the home team. Guius took a shot that deflected off Simón's hand and found its way into the back of the net. This young striker, who has been a part of Barcelona for a decade, climbed up the ranks of La Masia, the renowned academy of the club. In the current season, he has already scored five goals in five matches for the under-19 team.
Manager Xavi, who himself emerged from Barcelona's academy, has demonstrated a consistent inclination towards promoting young talents to the first team in his tenure. Moreover, sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal has notably left an indelible mark this year by becoming Barcelona's youngest player to compete in a significant match in April. Notably, he recently scored his inaugural league goal earlier this month.
"Guiu is a player whom I greatly admire, and I have no reservations about utilizing locally-developed players as we possess a plethora of talented individuals," Xavi stated on the club's website. "They bestowed upon me a similar level of trust during my playing days."
With this victory, Barcelona remains within striking distance of the La Liga summit, trailing Real Madrid and Girona by a mere point after 10 matches. Their upcoming challenge takes the form of a group stage encounter against Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday.
