Hansi Flick has named his Barcelona XI to face Newcastle in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie and has made history in the process.
The German coach is fielding the youngest ever Barcelona team for a knockout game in the Champions League, with an average age of just 25 years and 18 days.
There are three teenagers in the line-up – Lamine Yamal, Marc Bernal and Pau Cubarsi – as well as youngsters such as Pedri, Fermin Lopez and Joan Garcia.
There’s also plenty of youth on the bench,
as Diego Kochen, Xavi Espart, Alvaro Cortes and Tommy Marques are all substitutes.
Yet Flick has also some experienced players in his team. Robert Lewandowski has been given the nod in attack, while there are also starts for Raphinha and Joao Cancelo.
“Robert has a lot of experience. He’s one of the best strikers in the box,” Flick told Movistar ahead of the game.
“Eric will play as a full-back today. I hope he can give us options in attack. We know it’s a Champions League match, an important one, and everyone is at 100% and highly motivated.”
The game is tied at 1-1 after the first leg, meaning it’s all to play for at Camp Nou for a place in the quarter-finals.
