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Ilaix Moriba scored his first Barcelona goal on Saturday to secure a vital victory for the Catalan giants against Osasuna in La Liga and move to within two points of league leaders Atletico Madrid.
The 18-year-old, who only made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey in January, struck a superb effort after coming on as a substitute for Sergio Busquets to make it 2-0 to the visitors at El Sadar.
WHAT A WAY TO SCORE YOUR FIRST EVER GOAL! 😳
18-year-old Ilaix Moriba scores his first ever Barcelona goal to double their lead against Osasuna 🔥 t.co/oFkEi2sE8j #OsasunaBarça
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Moriba Talks Unforgettable First Goal
Moriba spoke to reporters after the full-time whistle and could not hide his delight after opening his account for Barcelona, as reported by Marca.
“I love to score goals. Leo gave me a great pass and I don’t know how I cut in and shot with my left, and thank God it went in. I will never forget this and I will take it to my grave,” he said. “They just told me this is where Ansu [Fati] scored his first goal. He’s like a brother to me and we’ve been together for a long time, I’ve a lot of affection for him and it’s great to score where he got his first goal.”
Barcelona’s win piles the pressure on Atletico Madrid ahead of Sunday’s match against Real Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. The Rojiblancos do now have two games in hand on Barcelona, but Moriba insisted the title race is far from over.
“From the first game, Koeman told me to look for a goal and that is what I have done. We never, ever thought the league was over. We know it will be difficult but the DNA of this club is to keep going, never give up and the same on Wednesday [against PSG],” he explained, “I’ve learned a lot here in La Masia and also from my father and my mother, all my family have supported me. Hopefully, our opponents start to drop points, if Atleti drop points tomorrow that’s good but we have to start thinking about Wednesday.”
Moriba also hit a landmark with his strike against Osasuna, as shown by Opta.
1 – @FCBarcelona‘s Ilaix Moriba (18 years and 46 days) is the youngest player to score from outside the box in @LaLigaEN this season. Diamond.
Barca Youngsters Impressing
The teenager is the latest youngster to make an impression at Barcelona this season under Koeman. The Dutchman has been happy to place his trust in the club’s young players and offer vital first-team minutes.
Midfielder Pedri, who joined from Las Palmas in the summer, has become a regular in midfield despite only turning 18 in November, while Oscar Mingueza is also cementing a place in the team despite technically being a Barcelona B player.
Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, Sergino Dest, and Moriba have also enjoyed game time this season and look set to become important players for the club for a long time to come.
Indeed Moriba will now be officially promoted to the first-team squad next season, according to Diario Sport‘s Albert Roge. The club will also make his contract renewal a priority as his current deal expires in 2022 and he’s already received interest from clubs including Manchester City, Juventus and Chelsea.
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