Barcelona set a club record in its first home match of the season. In the 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, Hansi Flick relied on the youngest starting lineup in the history of the "Camp Nou", with an average age of just 23.18 years.
The starting 11 included as many as seven graduates of the "La Masia" academy, including Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal, Pau Kubarsi and 19-year-old Xavi Espart. Only Rafainha, who is 29 years old, was born in the 20th century. Flick's squad improved the previous record of 23.26 years, set in a match against BATE Borisov in 2011.
Barcelona's youth is reminiscent of Pep Guardiola's legendary team, which won the Champions League in the 2010/11 season with seven players who came through “La Masia“. The Catalans also have one of the youngest teams in Europe – with an average age of 24.2 years, the same as Levante.
However, the young squad has not experienced difficulties at the start of the season. Barcelona won its first two matches, scoring seven goals and not conceding a single one. Particularly impressive is the 19-year-old Espart, who received praise from Flick for his composure and tactical literacy.