Barcelona handed encouraging signs by Alvaro Cortes’ debut stats | OneFootball

FC Barcelona were unable to keep up their winning momentum following their La Liga triumph as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to a relegation-battling Alaves side on Wednesday night.

There were not a lot of positives for the Catalans to take home from this match, as they were unable to register even a single shot on target. However, this match would still be memorable for one player in particular, i.e., the young center-back Alvaro Cortes, who made his debut with the first team.

It was not an easy context for a debut, with Alaves fighting to stay up and Barcelona coming off a long title celebration, but the youngster still managed to put in a very composed and mature performance across the full 90 minutes.

As Mundo Deportivo has noted, he stood out with his passing, as he finished the game with 109 touches and 88 accurate passes, recording a 95% pass completion rate. Furthermore, he also completed 5 long balls.

Beyond his distribution, he also showed clear defensive authority. He won 4 of his 5 ground duels and 5 of his 9 aerial duels, and Alaves were unable to dribble past him even once during the match. He also recorded 3 recoveries, completed his only dribble attempt, and made his only tackle successfully, all while not committing a single foul.

The 21-year-old left-footed defender, who stands at 1.90 metres, looked comfortable in both defensive duels and in possession, offering calmness in buildup and security in the air whenever Alaves tried to test him.

Originally developed at Real Zaragoza before joining La Masia in 2021, he progressed through the youth ranks after a loan spell at CF Damm, steadily climbing into Barcelona Atlètic and now into the first team environment.

Flick also praised him after the final whistle, and although it was a difficult night for Barcelona as a team, Cortes still made the most of his opportunity to make his case.

His debut left behind solid numbers, personality, and the sense that Barça may already have a left-footed centre back for the future, a profile the sporting department is actively looking to strengthen in the upcoming summer transfer window, with the youngster quietly knocking on the door before the season runs out.