FC Barcelona is feeling strong heading into el clásico after a famous victory masterminded by a foreign coach who has directed a group of youngsters and academy players - oh, and a superstar striker who many thought was over the hill - to perfection.
La Masia is the most famous academy in world football, and with good reason. A large portion of FC Barcelona’s players in their win over FC Bayern Munich 4-1 were graduates from the academy, even if they took differing paths after receiving their footballing education.
Not all of Barcelona’s youngsters are academy products, and not all of their academy products are in their early 20s.