Barcelona debutant set for major pre-season reward after impressing Hansi Flick | OneFootball

Hansi Flick appears to have found another young talent he can trust at Barcelona following the impressive debut of Alvaro Cortes against Deportivo Alaves.

According to fresh reports from Mundo Deportivo, the manager was highly satisfied with what he saw from the young centre-back during Barcelona’s recent league match, to the point where Cortes is now expected to be included in the club’s pre-season squad ahead of next season.

The appearance against Alaves marked another important moment in Flick’s Barcelona tenure, with Cortes becoming the 10th player to make his debut under the German coach. 

Notably, Cortes had already spent several weeks training with the senior squad and had been pushing for an opportunity. 

A strong debut performance

Against Alaves, Flick finally handed him his chance and the youngster responded with a performance that exceeded expectations.

Despite the pressure of making a first-team debut, the defender looked remarkably calm throughout the entire match. 

He never appeared overwhelmed by the occasion and showed personality from the very beginning, even when Barcelona were under pressure.

Alvaro Cortes left a strong impression. (Picture credit: Instagram/@alvaarocortes)

Although there were a few moments where he lost possession, Cortes quickly recovered and continued demanding the ball with confidence. 

Across the full 90 minutes, Cortes recorded 109 touches and completed 88 passes with an outstanding 95% accuracy rate and completed five long passes successfully.

Defensively, the Barcelona academy graduate also delivered a highly convincing display. 

He won most of his ground duels, competed strongly in the air, and, perhaps most importantly, was never beaten in 1v1 situations.

That balance between calmness on the ball and defensive aggression is precisely what Barcelona have been searching for in recent months, and now, there is a feeling that Cortes could become an important option.

Flick’s decision to keep him close to the first team for pre-season now looks increasingly likely, especially after a debut that left a strong impression.