Paco Alcacer was finally called up against Sevilla after only playing a total of eight minutes this season in La Liga and scored a brace to seal the victory.
Barcelona hosted a difficult Sevilla on Saturday, where Lionel Messi made his 600th appearance in the Blaugrana jersey and Paco Alcacer, the unlikely hero of the night, led the team to a well-deserved victory.
With the likes of Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele up front, there did not seem to be any room for Alcacer. However, with the Frenchman’s injury back in mid-September, the striker saw his opportunity to play more, but that has not been the case. Ernesto Valverde has chosen La Masia’s Gerard Deulofeu over the Valencia man on several occasions.
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His lack of playing time has caused him frustrations and have stirred rumors about his departure from the club. But the player might want to unpack his suitcase after his exquisite performance last night.
It was the first time in some while that Paco was called up to start a La Liga game and he did not let Valverde regret his decision. Alcacer was the man of the hour, scoring a brace at the Camp Nou to give his side three important points. His defensive work and quick transition to attack throughout the match was brilliant, as he proved he deserves to be on the field alongside Messi and Co.
Prior to this match, the striker had only appeared in seven matches for the Catalans, and he admitted the difficulty of gaining playing time at a club like Barcelona.
“We all want to play and have minutes, but we have a big squad and there some players have to miss out every weekend. We have to keep working to take advantage of every opportunity the coach gives us,” telling BeIN Sports after the match.
Next: Could Paco Alcacer Take the Place of Luis Suarez?
Paco still needs to continue to impress the coach if he hopes to get more opportunities. But his match against Sevilla will be a big indicator for Valverde to gain more trust and confidence in the 24-year-old.