Getty Ansu Fati celebrates scoring on his Barcelona comeback.
Ansu Fati was back with a bang for Barcelona on Sunday as the teenager scored on his comeback for the Catalan giants in a 3-0 La Liga win over Levante at the Camp Nou.
The forward was named on the bench after over 10 months out due to injury but came on with 82 minutes on the clock to replace Luuk de Jong. Fati made an instant impact and was denied what looked to be a clear penalty after being felled in the box but his appeals were ignored by the referee.
The decision did not seem to affect the teenager at all as he went on to score Barca’s third of the afternoon with a brilliant effort to mark a truly remarkable comeback, as shown by ESPN.
OMG ANSU FATI SCORES! 😭❤️
Fati’s goal will give Barca a huge boost after a tough start to the 2021-22 season under beleagured boss Ronald Koeman. The win also sees Barca close the gap on leaders Real Madrid, who have played a game extra, to five points.
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Camp Nou Welcomes Back Ansu
Barcelona supporters were obviously delighted to see Fati back in action for the first time in 323 days and offered the youngster a raucous welcome when he came off the bench.
Ovació de 🔟
Coach Ronald Koeman had said in his pre-match press conference Fati would only play 15 minutes at the most against Levante with the club unwilling to take any risks with the forward after such a lengthy spell out.
Fati had time for a quick embrace with the club doctor before making his way onto the pitch, as shown by Goal.
Ansu Fati hugs Barcelona’s club doctor before coming on for his first appearance in 11 months ❤️
Early goals from Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong had seen Barca cruise into a comfortable 2-0 lead against Paco Lopez’s side, allowing the hosts to hand Fati his eagerly-anticipated comeback.
Fati’s goal was greeted by wild celebrations in the stands by supporters, while his family members were unsurprisingly finding the whole afternoon rather emotional.
Fati Reacts To Barcelona Comeback
An emotional Fati was happy to speak to reporters after the full-time whistle at the Camp Nou and admitted he was a little taken aback with his goal, as reported by Marca.
“I didn’t expect this but playing at home we always expect to win. There’s still a long way to go. I need to thank the doctors and medical staff and the fans – it’s incredible,” he said. “I am one more. I will try to add what I can. I will try to help the coach and be available to help.” It will depend on how I find myself. I will have to earn the minutes. This is very long, it has just begun. We are Barça and we have to fight for everything.”
The game also saw the teenager wear the No. 10 shirt for the first time and he said he did not feel any pressure about inheriting the number from Lionel Messi.
“For me the 10 is not a pressure, it is a pride. To thank the club and the captains for giving me the opportunity to wear it. It is not pressure, but gratitude,” he added. “We are Barça, we are going to fight for LaLiga, for the Champions League and for everything. We are Barça and we have to fight and work for that.”
Fati will be hoping for more minutes on Wednesday when Barca return to action in the Champions League. The Catalans take on Portugese side Benfica and are in need of a win after opening up with defeat to Bayern Munich.
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Ansu Fati Scores Brilliant Goal On Barcelona Comeback [WATCH]