The first touch was wonderful. A sharp turn in the center of the field – and Omar Mascarel is left behind. The Elche contact tried to grab Gabi by the hands and trip him up, but even that he could not do. The Barcelona diamond was too agile. Then came the second movement, and the Chilean stopper Anso Rocco was also left helpless, as if he were standing in someone else’s show. Gabi broke free, approached the field, measured the distance, and sent a flat ball that gave the goalkeeper no chance. Here’s a way for you to score a debut goal in a Blaugrana uniform at the Camp Nou. Leo Messi himself was also proud of such a performance.
Gabby will not be afraid of comparisons to Messi. On the contrary – he is looking for them. Remember with what number the flea played at Barça in the first two years? True, 30, and he chose him today at Paris Saint-Germain to hint that he is going back in time machine. Well, Gabby did not hesitate to take that number just when earlier this summer, sensationally, by Ronald Koeman from the reserve squad to the senior squad. After all, he was a bench player in the third division earlier this year, but that did not stop him from going on 30. He wants to go Messi’s way, and really does not hide it. He is brave and cheeky, and this is one of his most notable traits.
Pure DNA of Barcelona
Nor is he afraid of comparisons to our current coach. His name is Pablo Martin Pas Gavira. You do not have to invent shortcuts, but even if you do – there are quite a few options here. The skinny knot went on Gabby, knowing it would clearly remind everyone of Xabi. He’s looking for that too. And once he set foot in Camp Nou, it was impossible to ignore the similarities when it comes to watching the game. Gabby plays with his head up, there is always a feeling that he has a lot of time with the ball, but he thinks very fast and performs very fast. He tends to deliver forward, strives to be creative, and immediately moves to dead space in order to be an option for delivery back. He has the DNA of Barcelona, at the purest level one could ask for. He was the outstanding trainee in La Masia, the ultimate lift.
And so he engineered yesterday the move that won the game. His goal in the 17th minute raised Barcelona to 0: 2, but the opponent took advantage of holes in the defense and returned to 2: 2 in the second half. Time passed, and the phenomenal performance of the tie could have been swallowed up in the negative headlines about a home draw against a bottom team. It did not really fit, and in the 85th minute the final chord came to the show. Gabby made a double pass with Osman Dembele, burst onto the field from the left and provided a perfect pass towards Nico Gonzalez. The vast majority of players would walk in such a position on a wide ball in hopes of finding a finishing leg, but Gabby is different. He found time to look back, located the free space his friend was galloping to, and canceled all the defense with one touch.
“The power of his personality is surprising”
Any player can be proud of such an assist – his third of the season, with only Jordi Alba ahead of him in this aspect at Barcelona. For a 17-year-old star, it’s almost inconceivable. Gabi’s maturity is breathtaking, and Xavi remarked after the final whistle: “The intensity of his personality is surprising at his age. When I was 17, it was harder for me.” In fact, anyone who plays with Gabby can not believe he’s still a teenager because he’s just taking leadership. He did it even in his national team debut.
Many eyebrows were raised when the coach, Luis Enrique, summoned Gabi to the squad for the decisive stages of the League of Nations in early October, after a few games in the Barça uniform. Many more eyebrows were raised when it became clear he was opening in the semi-final against Italy at San Siro. Gabi thus became the youngest player in the history of Spain, at just 17 and 62 days old, smashing a record set somewhere in 1936. A few minutes in Milan, however, were enough to realize that he really deserved to be there. Gabby was unmoved by the European champions’ link-up, was far better than Marco Verratti, Niccolò Barla and Giorgini, and the Spaniards ruined for Squadra Azura a 37-game unbeaten streak.
“I have no doubt he will be a very important player for Barcelona and for the national team,” declared Luis Enrique. And since then, it is no longer possible to imagine Spain without him. Gabi started in the League of Nations final against France, and also in the two crucial games in the World Cup qualifiers in November, when the Reds defeated Greece and Sweden. And there too, just like in Barcelona, he plays with his head up, precise with creative dedication forward, always available to get the ball, and also does a lot of black work without him.
The tongue and the open laces
How impressive is his workload? Yesterday, for example, Gabi ran 13.5 miles against Elche, far more than any other player on the field. His example causes his friends to do as he does and believe in themselves, and he does not get tired. Fact – he did not waste a single ball in the first half yesterday. 35 of 35. These are monstrous figures by any standard. Gabby was not just a man of the match. He was much better than everyone else by a considerable margin, and the audience sang his name out loud after the winning cooking. It’s not a common sight at Camp Nou, but this kid is capable of changing consciousness.
And he also has unusual characteristics that belong only to him. As he plays, Gabby moves his tongue aside so that it protrudes inside his cheek, and this has already become his trademark. In addition, fans were shocked to find that he was not tying his shoelaces. It turns out that as a child Gabby had a hard time dealing with the laces, so he got used to playing that way. It does not bother him, but quite the opposite. This too will be the hallmark. He is special, different, extraordinary. Many youngsters got into the storm and ignited the imagination at Camp Nou in the storm, but Gabby does it faster and more impressively even compared to Pedry.
This is the big dream of Barcelona fans, and also of all the creative football fans around the world – to see Gabby and Pedry together. The 19-year-old playmaker from the Canary Islands has been injured since September, after being grounded restlessly throughout last season, then participating in both Euro 2020 and the Olympics. However, he will return soon, fresh and fresh, and will find next to him a rare partner, with whom he will be able to develop a common language without saying a word. These two geniuses are capable of delivering supreme performances, and the parallel to Xavi and Andres Iniesta does not seem excessive. Gabby will certainly not oppose them. He’s strong enough to handle any challenge, and after yesterday’s show expectations only got even higher. “There’s no limit to his talent,” Xavi says, and it’s easy to believe him.
.