Barca win built off 'exceptional' young midfield

Barcelona humiliated Bayern Munich successful their 4-1 Champions League triumph connected Wednesday night, successful ample portion acknowledgment to 3 "exceptional" young midfielders.

While Raphinha volition rightly get plaudits for his superb hat-trick, Barcelona's win was built disconnected Marc Casado, Pedri and Fermin Lopez's tireless enactment successful the middle.

All 3 are conscionable 21 years old, portion 2 of them are fortunate to adjacent beryllium successful the side.

"If Barcelona had the money, they'd person Bernardo Silva, they would person kept Ilkay Gundohan and those 2 would person played," Spanish shot adept Guillem Balague told the BBC MOTD Champions League Highlights show.

"Those who are injured similar Gavi, Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong would person played up of 2 of these three. Only Pedri would beryllium successful the line-up."

Instead, it is Casado and Lopez who are partnering Pedri and dilatory becoming household names.

Having kept Bayern's experienced trio of Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Joao Palhinha - who person 21 league titles betwixt them - astatine bay, Barcelona whitethorn person stumbled connected the cleanable midfield three.

Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock called the trio "exceptional" and said they "constantly allowed Barcelona to play".

Casado, who Warnock said had a earthy "understanding of however to work danger" was the deepest of the 3 midfielders, shielding the defence and winning the shot backmost for his side.

The erstwhile Barcelona B skipper lone made his archetypal Barcelona commencement this season, but has go a regular for Haasi Flick's side, getting the motion successful each of their Champions League matches this term, and came up with an assistance connected Wednesday.

"Casado played doubly for Xavi past play and Xavi was told if you enactment Casado successful the squad enough, helium wouldn’t travel retired of it," added Balague.

"Xavi thought helium was excessively abbreviated for a holding midfielder, but he’s successful now."

Just up of Casado was Pedri, already a superstar and a existent champion of the transition, perpetually receiving the shot disconnected his defenders and playing it forward.

Pedri joined Barca from Las Palmas successful 2020 astatine the property of 16, won the Golden Boy grant successful 2021 and, that aforesaid year, ended up signing a declaration hold which included a 1bn euro (£846m) merchandise clause.

And finally, completing the midfield trio and playing arsenic a fig 10 was Lopez.

The youngster was fixed a licence to roam guardant against Bayern and often ended up arsenic the furthest subordinate guardant arsenic helium assisted some Barca's archetypal and 2nd goals.

“Lopez's knowing of erstwhile to beryllium dropping abbreviated and erstwhile to go that 2nd striker is brilliant," added Warnock.

There was much youthful brilliance disconnected the seat for Barcelona with 20-year-old Gavi, who won the Golden Boy grant successful 2022 and is recovering from an injury, coming connected for the last 5 minutes.

Plus, 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal starred retired wide and besides grabbed an assist, mounting up Raphinha for his hat-trick.

The aboriginal looks agleam for Barcelona.

Watch highlights of each Champions League crippled from 22:00 connected Wednesday connected BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There volition besides beryllium a Champions League Match of the Day connected BBC One connected Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.