Barcelona is gearing up for a tough clash against Crvena Zvezda, with the Serbian side’s rising star, often dubbed ‘little Messi,’ posing a serious threat. Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has been speaking about the development of the club’s 18-year-old fullback, Hector Fort, who has seen limited playing time this season. As Barcelona’s schedule intensifies, Fort is expected to get more opportunities to prove himself and continue his growth.
Barcelona Wary of ‘Little Messi’ in Crvena Zvezda Clash
Barcelona’s upcoming match takes them to Belgrade, where they’ll face FK Crvena Zvezda, a team that has lost all three of their European games so far.
Despite their poor UEFA Champions League record, they’ve been in excellent form in their domestic league, remaining unbeaten in their last 13 matches.
In a near must-win scenario, they’ll make things difficult for the Catalans, who will be the clear favorites.
According to SPORT, Crvena Zvezda boasts a young talent that Barcelona should be cautious of, as he is already being compared to the club’s legend, Lionel Messi.
A 17-Year-Old Prodigy
At just 17, Andrija Maksimovic has quickly established himself as a key figure in Zvezda’s midfield. A talented attacking midfielder, He has already contributed two assists and two goals in just three league matches.
The young talent’s style of play has earned him the nickname ‘little Messi,’ and his skills on the pitch have already attracted interest from top European clubs, including Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Liverpool.
Maksimovic has netted two goals in his last two appearances across all competitions and recently made history as the youngest-ever debutant for the Serbian national team. Barcelona should be cautious of his growing threat.
While Hansi Flick will certainly keep an eye on the midfielder, he has his own ‘little Messi’ in Lamine Yamal, who is of the same age but has already achieved much more.
In fact, the player has just reached the same age when Messi made his league debut for Barcelona, yet he already boasts more than 80 appearances.
Barcelona’s match in Belgrade is their second to last before the international break. With over 50,000 fans expected and the hosts under pressure to secure a win, it promises to be a tough challenge for the Blaugrana.
Hansi Flick Talks About Barcelona’s 18-Year-Old Fullback
Following the tough matches against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Hansi Flick was anticipated to rotate his regular starters for the game against RCD Espanyol. However, there was only one significant change to the Barcelona starting lineup.
The change came with Jules Koundé’s absence from the starting lineup, as the French defender was substituted by the young Hector Fort. The Fullback played 78 minutes and delivered a promising performance.
In his post-match press conference, Flick was tight-lipped when questioned about his decision to bench Jules Koundé for the game. However, as reported by SPORT, he was far more open when discussing Hector Fort’s development, offering the following comment:
“He’s doing well. He’s 18 years old, and we need to be aware of that, but he’s on the right path. He has a lot of self-confidence, and he’s performing well both with the ball and in possession… He knows the areas he needs to improve. We train him on these, and we will continue to focus on them.”
While Xavi relied on him often last season, Fort’s role in the team has diminished since Flick took over.
This season, he has featured in just 18% of the available minutes, playing 78 minutes against Espanyol, 67 against Alaves, 29 against Girona, 9 against Villarreal, 2 against Getafe, and 5 against Osasuna. In the UCL, he played 26 minutes against Young Boys.
This season, the Barcelona coach has been using him primarily as a substitute for Koundé, despite him playing more as a left-back last season.
With Barcelona’s schedule becoming more demanding, he is expected to see more playing time. Hopefully, he will make the most of these opportunities to keep developing and displaying his talent.
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