FC Barcelona were unable to maintain their winning spirit following their La Liga victory, losing 1-0 against a relegation-battling Alaves team on Wednesday night.
There were little positives for the Catalans to take away from this contest, as they failed to register a single shot on target. This encounter, however, would be remarkable for one player in particular: teenage center-back Alvaro Cortes, who made his first-team debut.
It was hardly an easy setting for a debut, with Alaves trying to stay up and Barcelona coming off a lengthy title celebration, but the teenager delivered a cool and mature performance throughout the 90 minutes.
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As Mundo Deportivo remarked, he stood out with his passing, finishing the game with 109 touches and 88 accurate passes, for a 95% pass completion percentage. Furthermore, he completed five long balls.
Beyond his distribution, he had great defensive authority. He won 4 of his 5 ground duels and 5 of his 9 aerial duels, while Alaves were unable to dribble past him once throughout the game. He also recovered three times, completed his sole dribble attempt, and successfully tackled once, all while committing no fouls.
The 21-year-old left-footed defender, who stands 1.90 metres tall, was at ease in both defensive duels and possession, providing calm in buildup and air security whenever Alaves sought to challenge him.
Originally trained at Real Zaragoza before joining La Masia in 2021, he worked his way up the youth ranks following a loan spell at CF Damm, eventually making it into Barcelona Atlètic and now the first squad.
Flick also commended him after the game, and despite a poor night for Barcelona as a whole, Cortes made the most of his opportunity to make his case.
His debut left behind solid numbers, personality, and the impression that Barça may already have a left-footed centre back in the making, a profile the sporting department is actively looking to strengthen in the upcoming summer transfer window, with the youngster quietly knocking on the door before the season ends.
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