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Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi announced himself to the world with a solid display against Victor Osimhen and Napoli in the UCL.
If Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen didn't know Pau Cubarsi's name before, he certainly does now after the 17-year-old Barcelona prodigy served up an absolute masterclass in neutralising the world-class striker.
Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that Cubarsi reduced Super Eagles main man Osimhen to a feeble, forgettable presence to help the Catalans dump Napoli out of the UCL following a 4-2 aggregate win.
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08:28 - 13.03.2024
The numbers behind Osimhen's silent night against 17-year-old Barca teen Cubarsi
Barcelona and Pau Cubarsi proved to be too strong for Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and SSC Napoli in the Champions League.
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08:06 - 13.03.2024
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The Super Eagles forward was denied a penalty early in the second half against the LaLiga giants, annoying the Partenopei head coach.
Cubarsi cages Osimhen to win MOTM
Thrown in at the deep end for his first Champions League start, the teenage titan swam rather than sank, putting in a defensive performance way beyond his years to be named Man of the Match.
Cubarsi made five clearances, one interception, three tackles and created one chance from an assured 90% passing display over his 80 touches. He won three aerial duels, three on the ground and made one block.
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Osimhen, in contrast, had a night to forget against the youngster. The usually ruthless Super Eagles man had just one shot, won a single aerial duel from six attempts, zero ground duels from four, and lost nine duels in total - more than anyone else on the pitch.
At one point, the 17-year-old masterfully shoved the 24-year-old off the ball in the Barcelona box, leading to penalty appeals from the Nigerian striker and his teammates which was, however, waved off by the referee.
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It was a chastening experience for the Nigerian hitman who has struggled to make his mark in the Champions League this season after a historic last season.
Cubarsi's staggering coming-of-age display served the message of a young star blossoming in front of the world's eyes by rendering one of Europe's most feared frontmen utterly impotent.
Despite the performance, Cubarsi isn’t the finished article yet. But if this was his opening gambit, the rest of the continent's elite marksmen best be taking notes on how to solve the adolescent Barca behemoth.
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