Anthony Gordon came on from the bench after 63 minutes and made his European Cup debut for Barcelona in the 5-1 win over Feyenoord. “As it looks now, Barcelona are going to be difficult to deal with both in La Liga and in the Champions League.
Barcelona have three players nominated for the Ballon d’Or, Pau Cubarsí, Rodri and Lamine Yamal and two of them are also young enough to be nominated for Men’s Young Talent of the Year: Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal.
Here are all the nominees and the one Norwegian on the list you can guess who is.
Bodø/Glimt is among the 30 best football teams in the world
Barcelona fans all say the same about Anthony Gordon after he made his Champions League debut for the club in the crushing of Feyenoord. When Anthony Gordon came on from the bench and replaced Karim Adeyemi after 63 minutes, Barcelona were already leading 3-1.
He didn’t score or have any assists at Camp Nou, but received a huge amount of attention on social media for one particular part of his game that he repeated throughout the game.
Read: Jørgen Strand Larsen back in sparkling scoring form!
Barcelona fans react to Anthony Gordon’s Champions League debut
With Gordon on the pitch, Barca increased to 5-1 through goals from Lamine Yamal and new signing Gabriel Jesus.
Hansi Flick’s side scored five goals for the third game in a row, having beaten Valencia 5-0 and Rayo Vallecano 5-2 in La Liga in the previous two games.
It didn’t go unnoticed by fans that Barca’s performance got even better with Gordon on the pitch, with many noting his selflessness in creating chances for his teammates – despite the team already leading comfortably.
“They should give the MVP award to Anthony Gordon. He changed the whole mood of the team when he came in,” one fan wrote.
“Meet Anthony ‘hang up’ Gordon,” wrote another.
“Anthony Gordon is incredibly selfless,” remarked a third.
“Anthony Gordon comes in and we’re starting to play so much better,” wrote a fourth.
A fifth wrote: “Anthony Gordon is strong, that is. Look at that ball holding.
Barcelona teammates say Gordon is ‘abnormal’
One of the most notable features of Gordon’s early Barcelona career is how quickly he has adapted to his new surroundings.
The 25-year-old moved to Spain from Newcastle for £69.3 million in June, surprising everyone by saying a few Spanish words during his presentation.
According to the Spanish newspaper SPORT, Gordon has also learned Catalan, which is considered a “language in its own right” in Barcelona – the capital of Catalonia.
“Gordon will not just be passing through Barcelona, and he has fully shown his willingness to adapt to the Barca environment,” the report said.
A new report from The Athletic’s Pol Ballus reveals how much Gordon’s own teammates have appreciated his willingness to integrate into his new hometown.
After his name was sung during a half-time in Barca’s 5-2 win over Vallecano, the winger patted himself on the chest – to a loud roar of recognition. The fans again showed him their acceptance against Feyenoord when he was substituted.
“Immediately after the game, several teammates approached the England striker and mentioned the chants, making it clear to him that this is not normal,” the report reads.
“Normally, to hear your name sung by the Camp Nou crowd is a privilege you have to earn. Gordon has won the fans faster than anyone expected when he arrived.
Gordon is one of only 13 English players to have played for Barcelona. Only two of them – Gary Lineker and Marcus Rashford – have been part of the Spanish big club since the end of World War II.
