Gabriel Sanz (MD): La Masia leaves its mark in Europe before the Clasico

In his first season with Barcelona, coach Hans Flick notably relied on La Masia's graduates, amidst a difficult economic situation for the club.

In the 56 matches the team has played this season in La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, the average number of academy players in the starting lineup was 4.6 players.

Against Real Madrid, 6 La Masia players were involved in the league, 5 in the Super Cup, and 3 in the cup final - among the standout names were Iñaki Peña, Kobarse, Balde, Casado, Lamine Yamal, Olmo, and Gavi, in addition to other players like Bernal, Domínguez, Cuenca, and Toni Fernández who got their first appearance.

The beginning of the season saw 4 academy players involved, but injuries and circumstances pushed Flick to increasingly rely on them, especially after Ter Stegen's injury, which paved the way for Iñaki Peña's rise, Gavi's return, and Olmo's signing.

The record was in the match against Espanyol with 7 La Masia players, while the match in the Copa del Rey against Barbastro saw the lowest representation, with only one player.

In the decisive matches against Alavés, Sevilla, Bayern, and Madrid, the team always included 6 academy players, underscoring Flick's consistent policy of building on the club's own youths, despite the exclusion of names like Héctor Fort in favor of others.