He came, he saw, and he conquered. 17-year-old Spanish forward Marc Guiu scored the game-winner in Sunday's clash between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. And he did it after a mere ten seconds coming on for Fermin Lopez. So, given Barca's continued injury woes, does the teenager deserve his first start this week in the Champions League and the El Clasico? 

Is Marc Guiu another La Masia gem?

“Marc is a kid from the academy and he made the difference,” Xavi said after the match. “I am happy for him and with the three points, which are really important.

“I thought of him in that moment because he is a goal scorer, he has a spark and I like him personally. I don't have any problem looking at what we have in-house. The complete opposite. I want to give them the confidence that I was given at 17, 18 years old.”

Xavi is a coach of his word. So far, he's given chances to La Masia graduates — most recently, Lamine Yamal. The teen became the youngest-ever starter in Champions League history at 16 years old, 83 days. Recent La Masia graduates Pedri and Gavi are also starring under Xavi's leadership. 

So, what would you do if you were in Xavi's position for the big games this week? 

All five of your starters are injured — Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, and Raphinha — you need reinforcements for this week's big games. Do you start Marc Guiu against Shakhtar Donetsk over Ferran Torres?

Would you give Guiu the start in El Clasico if Lewy and Raphinha are still down for the count? 

Let us know on Twitter. 

Would you give Marc Guiu the start in the UCL and El Clasico games this week? #Barca

— SoccerGator.io (@thesoccergator) October 24, 2023

Photo: Instagram/marcguiu9

The post Barca’s Marc Guiu: Starter in El Clasico and Champions League? appeared first on SoccerGator.