Barcelona 1-0 Athletic Club: 5 Talking points as youthful Blaugrana side take all three points | La Liga 2023-24

Yet another La Masia product saved the day for Barcelona as 17-year-old Marc Guiu scored the winning goal in the Blaugrana's 1-0 win over Athletic Club in La Liga on Sunday, October 22.

Xavi had a bit of a selection problem on his hands, with multiple top players, including Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde out with injury. Fermin Lopez joined Joao Felix and Ferran Torres in a youthful front three for the hosts.

Athletic Club, on the other hand, had to make a late change after Ander Herrera suffered an injury setback during warmups.

Barcelona had a huge chance early in the game after Felix met Torres' cross from the right but was denied by the crossbar. Lopez then forced a great save from Unai Simon as the Blaugrana applied constant pressure.

The visitors eventually grew into the game and brothers Inaki and Nico Williams each squandered a chance to take the lead. The former was denied by a last-ditch block by Inigo Martinez. The latter forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a brilliant save to keep it level.

Barcelona continued to press the issue in the second half, with Felix, Lopez and substitute Lamine Yamal all missing chances.

It was 17-year-old Marc Guiu who eventually stole the show, scoring within 30 seconds of his introduction on his Barcelona debut. He received the ball from Felix and slotted it past Simon, who got a hand on the ball, but could not stop it.

With the win, Barca climbed to third place in La Liga behind Real Madrid and Girona, ahead of the upcoming El Clasico on Saturday, October 28. Here are five talking points from the game:

#5. A youthful Barcelona side step up

Xavi named a pretty young side for the clash against Athletic Club, with five players in the starting XI aged 23 or lesser. The bench was also filled with youngsters, including Lamine Yamal and Marc Guiu, who ended up making the difference. Despite their overall financial struggles, La Masia continues to be a factory of great talent for the Catalan side.

#4. Felix is settling in well with the Blaugrana

Joao Felix expressed his desire to leave Atletico Madrid and play for Barcelona this summer, even reportedly taking a pay cut to join the Catalan side on loan. He has quickly become a valuable player for Xavi and was heavily involved in the attack against Athletic Club. He hit the crossbar in the first half before bagging the assist for the only goal of the night.

#3. Athletic Club rue missed chances

Although the visitors were clearly second best on the night, they will surely regret missing a few easy chances to make the game interesting. Inaki and Nico Williams both had chances to take the lead late in the first half and a win could have seen them climb closer to the top four.

#2. A debut to remember for Guiu

The 17-year-old striker came off the bench for his first senior appearance for the club and made an instant impact. Injury to first-team striker Robert Lewandowski meant the youngster got a chance to showcase himself and he did just that, announcing himself to the world splendidly.

#1. A good result for Barcelona

Despite dominating the game, it looked like the Blaugrana could once again fail to capitalize after their draw against Granada last time out. However, a win over a strong Athletic Club side will certainly provide them confidence ahead of a clash against Shakhtar Donetsk midweek in the Champions League before the pivotal El Clasico on Saturday.