BARÇA LOANED 9 PLAYERS TO ITS TEAMS
Published:16/10/2024 – 10:41h
Updated:17/10/2024 – 02:25h
FC Barcelona loaned a total of nine players to their national teams during the recent October FIFA international break, which took place from October 6 to 15. Here at FCBN, we review the performances of the internationals with their respective national teams during this international break.
In this October FIFA international break, the most outstanding performance by a FC Barcelona player undoubtedly belongs to Raphinha. The Porto Alegre native did not hesitate to carry his remarkable goal-scoring form with the Blaugrana to lead the Brazilian national team and guide them back to victory. In the match of the ninth round of World Cup qualifiers against Chile (1-2), marking his return to the Brazilian national team after not participating in the September FIFA window, he did not have a significant impact.
However, in the clash against Peru in the 10th round of World Cup qualifiers, Raphinha showcased his lethal side by scoring a brace (38′ and 54′), both goals from the penalty spot, in Brazil’s 4-0 victory over the Peruvian side.
On the other hand, Robert Lewandowski had the opportunity to contribute to his national team, although his performance in this international break was overshadowed by controversy related to the fact that the ‘9’ from Barcelona did not end his stint with the ‘Eagles’ in full physical condition. In the first match of the October FIFA international break against Portugal, part of the UEFA Nations League Matchday 3, which ended in a 3-0 defeat for the Poles, he couldn’t make a significant impact.
Nevertheless, against Luka Modrić’s Croatia (Matchday 4), ‘Lewy’ managed to assist in his team’s equalizer by providing the assist for Sebastian Szymański’s 3-3 goal in the 68th minute of the game.
Notably, in this match, it was highlighted that Robert Lewandowski was not at full capacity, as he was reportedly dealing with what his coach Michał Probierz described as a minor injury. Despite this, a significant risk was taken with the Polish forward, who received a harsh tackle from Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, resulting in the goalkeeper’s dismissal. This likely unnecessary risk left ‘Lewy’ visibly affected at the end of the game, a situation that might not have been well received at Barcelona.
Jules Koundé continued to be crucial for the French national team. The Parisian once again became a key piece in Didier Deschamps‘s setup, playing the full 90 minutes in the first match of this October FIFA international break against Israel, which ended in a 4-1 victory for France on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League. Additionally, he also completed the full 90 minutes in ‘Les Bleus’ victory against Belgium on Matchday 4 (1-2). The Barcelona defender has established himself as a solid right-sided defender for the French team.
One of the particularly notable cases of this October FIFA date is that of Lamine Yamal. The Rocafonda player was called up by the Spanish national team for the matches against Denmark (matchday 3) and Serbia (matchday 4) in the UEFA Nations League, however, he could only participate in the match against the Danes (1-0).
In that game, he played the full 90 minutes but ended visibly affected by a physical issue, which later was diagnosed as a muscular overload. Due to this, the talented Barcelona forward had to return to the Ciudad Condal, being clearly removed from ‘La Roja’s’ call-up, in order to undergo the necessary recovery process with the aim of returning to action with the club in optimal condition.
Pedri González, on the other hand, was also with the Spanish national team, although without much statistical impact. He played 62 minutes against the Danes (1-0) and 25 minutes against the Serbians (3-0), matches corresponding to matchdays 3 and 4 of the UEFA Nations League. In this last match, it is relevant to mention that he started on the substitute bench, as part of the extensive rotation implemented by Luis de la Fuente.
Pau Cubarsi had a quite special day by making his official debut as a player for the Spanish national team in this October FIFA date. Previously, he had been called up and had seen minutes in friendly matches, such as in the exhibition duel against Colombia on March 22, the match against Brazil on the 26th of the same month, and the game against Andorra on June 5.
Now, in this October FIFA date, Pau Cubarsi did not start against the Danish national team (1-0). However, in the 3-0 victory against Serbia, he had the opportunity to play around 8 minutes after replacing Dani Vivian in the 82nd minute of the match against the Serbians.
Talking about debutants, Marc Casadó also had the opportunity to debut in the Spanish U-21 national team. Despite starting on the bench in the first match of this October FIFA date, valid for the qualification phase for the U-21 Euro Cup against Kazakhstan (4-3), the coach of the Spanish U-21 national team, Santi Denia, did not hesitate to include the Sant Pere de Vilamajor player in the starting lineup in the match against Malta, thus giving him the chance to debut in the category. The Barcelona midfielder enjoyed 79 minutes on the field during the resounding 6-0 victory over the Maltese team.
On the other hand, Pablo Torre also had participation with the U-21 national team in the qualifiers for the U-21 Euro Cup. He started in the match against Kazakhstan, which ended with a 4-3 victory for the Spaniards. In this match, he was on the field for 71 minutes. In the next match against Malta (6-0), he was a substitute and only played 20 minutes, with a more limited contribution.
Héctor Fort had participation with the U-19 national team led by Paco Gallardo in the friendlies against Norway and Romania. In the match against the Norwegians (3-2), he started on the bench and entered the field in the 78th minute. In the following match against the Romanians, he was a starter and played 82 minutes. However, his statistical impact was limited in both matches.
