In the first games of the Copa del Rey the youngsters have ground to gain. The players of the first team are often left out. For the game against Villanovense Lucho called up Gumbau from Barcelona B, as is now usual, and Samper, Aitor and Kaptoum. Aitor was a substitute, eventually coming on for Kaptoum, with the other three starting.
Of the four, the one that took the most advantage was Samper. The midfielder showed he has the quality to play for the first team and was one of the few players who had a good game in what was a terrible match for Lucho’s side.
Samper played beside Kaptoum as an interior, with Gumbau as the defensive midfielder. He was one of those charged with bringing the ball forward from the back and did it quite well, with some good passing lines and balls that the forward did not exploit.
In terms of defensive tasks, Samper did not let down his team-mates and did what he did well. In total, a good game from a player the fans have loved for many years. We will see if Lucho gives him chances after this game, or the opposite, whether he prefers to keep playing with Gerard Lopez in the B team. Samper has spoken on the pitch, now it’s the Asturian’s turn.