Xavi Espart is being tipped to shine if he comes up against Yan Diomande in Sunday’s clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.
The youngster has been a revelation so far this season, starring at both left-back and right-back for Barcelona. He also heads into the game after scoring his first Champions League goal against PSG in midweek.
Espart’s former La Masia coach Pau Moral says he has no doubts that the defender will come good once again at the weekend but warned that fans must realise he’s not the finished article yet.
“I don’t think he’ll have any trouble defending against Diomande; he’s a very intelligent player,” he told Cadena SER.
“We also have to be prepared for him to make mistakes someday. It’s not normal for these La Masia lads to never make a single error.”
Moral also spoke about how hard Espart has had to work to get where he is at Barcelona.
“He’s a kid who’s had to work incredibly hard; he was a dark horse. He wasn’t like Gavi or Lamine Yamal, who were practically stars from a young age, but he’s worked extremely hard for it,” he explained.
“He personally influenced me as a coach. Sometimes we’ve had very good players, but without a connection. On the other hand, with players like Cubarsí or Espart, you feel very proud. The goal of everyone at La Masia is precisely for the youngsters to reach the first team.
“He’s always defended well, even though he was short at La Masia, he already did very well. Now he plays exactly the same as he did six or seven years ago, but against players of a higher calibre
“I’m sold. Espart has great stats, and although he plays very well at full-back, he’s really most comfortable in midfield.”
Espart is expected to keep his place at right-back for the match, with Joao Cancelo likely to continue at left-back due to Barcelona’s injuries in defence.