While Barcelona’s 4-2 victory over Viktoria Plzen might have felt insignificant for some, with both teams already locked into third and fourth place in their Champions League group, for some it was the stuff of dreams.
Teenage midfielder Pablo Torre scored a goal on his first start for the club and despite some tricky moments, showed some moments of quality too. He ended up being replaced by Alvaro Sanz late on after suffering from cramp.
When Franck Kessie came off injured, he made way for Marc Casado to make his senior debut though. The 19-year-old had 20 minutes on the pitch, where he looked assured and helped seal the win.
“The dream I had since childhood has come true. Also, with victory. It was not easy to win here. Now we have to continue.”
Sport picked up on his comments that were made to Barca TV after the match. He also explained that he was lucky enough to make his debut under his childhood hero.
“When I was little I watched Xavi, his movements. Now I look at Busquets, at the things he does and how he does them, because he’s a savage player”.
Casado claimed he was “comfortable” on the pitch, despite the jump from third tier football in Spain to the Champions League
“Xavi gave me confidence. He told me to be intense defensively and concentrate on what I had to do.”
Casado made 26 of his 29 passes after coming on, which backs up his own assessment. He joined the academy the year after Xavi departed the club as a player, lifting the Champions League – in this case, meeting his hero has worked out.
