Barca’s crazy Copa del Rey showing is cruel on Cubarsi

 If ever there was a game that showed the need to get an extremely high defensive line exactly right, this was it.

After only five minutes of this classic Copa clash, most culers would’ve been forgiven for thinking that Hansi Flick had got things completely wrong.

By half-time Barca were back in front thanks to a press the likes of which we’ve rarely seen from the Blaugranes; incredibly intense and savage at times, Barca barely allowing Diego Simenoe’s side to breathe.

There were plenty of standout performances on the night too, including from the likes of Inigo Martinez and Pedri, but surely collective caps have to be doffed in Pau Cubarsi’s direction.

That might seem strange when he and his defensive colleagues have conceded four goals, but there’s something about the youngster that just resonates with lovers of the game.

There’s an ease to his play that’s often pleasing on the eye, a lightness of touch to his game mixed with the steely determination of the very best centre-backs. It’s truly frightening to think he much better he will get.

It’s ridiculous that he’s almost a decade away from reaching his peak as a player.

Despite having only just turned 18 Cubarsi plays the game like a veteran, and for someone so young to have such an appreciation of the defensive art is truly inspirational.

A towering header to set this tie alight only served to highlight his supplementary presence in attack also.

As if to emphasise his excellence on the night, strong-arming the gigantic Alexander Sortloth was a sight to behold, even if the Atleti hit-man ultimately had the last word, much as he had in the league game.

The first few and last few minutes aside, along with Martinez, Cubarsi laid the foundations for a game which saw the hosts engineer 60 percent possession, and a ferocity against a tough opponent they arguably won’t have been expecting.

Ultimately, it didn’t get Barca over the line on the night, but the tie is still alive.

Not much tends to be written or spoken about Cubarsi, but it should be. He’s every inch the quiet superstar but who should be grabbing as many headlines as the likes of Lamine Yamal et al..

He needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, however, as this type of defensive talent doesn’t come along too often.

It’s just a shame that he and his colleagues didn’t get their rewards on the night in a game that many people will be struggling to make sense of.