FC Barcelona's 2024/25 campaign so far, and especially the last week, has been spectacular. Given that they were scheduled to play tough opponents, Sevilla, Bayern, and Real Madrid consecutively, speculations were raised about whether they would be able to continue their dream run or not; however, the club defied everyone's expectations and dominated them all.
25-year-old prodigy believes he performed his best in Barca's 4-0 El Clasico win
While defeating Sevilla 5-1 certainly, gave them a massive morale boost, following which came the dominant display against Bayern, their real challenge was against Real Madrid. And the way Flick's Barca performed gave the fans the hope of a sensational season finish this time, unlike their 2023/24 campaign. Be it the club's offensive presence, their midfield department, or their backline, all the players performed to their best level against Real Madrid.
However, while certainly the crucial 3 points against Real Madrid helped Barca stretch their lead at the tabletop, one of the biggest positives for the Blaugrana club was the form return of their prodigy keeper. Since their club captain, Ter Stegen, had been ruled out and Peña handed the responsibility of the goal, the 25-year-old hadn't been convincing enough; however, with his recent performance, he has silenced all his critics.
Being up against the world's most star-studded attack force, Inaki Peña stood brilliantly, registering a key clean sheet for FC Barcelona. Making key saves, which included a jaw-dropping goal-line save, and shutting down superstar Kylian Mbappe, the 25-year-old lived up to Hansi Flick's expectations, who has been sticking with him all the time now.
As was expected, the solid performances against Bayern and Real Madrid have given Peña the much-needed confidence boost he was looking for. According to Diario SPORT's recent reports, Iñaki Peña is convinced that he showed his true level against Madrid at the Bernabeu. It seems that the prodigy just needed a string of matches in a row and confidence from the manager to get to his level best.
Going forward, FC Barcelona is scheduled to host Espanyol in their upcoming La Liga fixture, and as obvious as it seems now, Peña would start yet again for the Blaugrana club. Barca fans would hope that the prodigy star continues his brilliant run in the season ahead, playing a crucial role in the club's quest for major titles this time.