PSG midfielder says Kylian Mbappe vs Barcelona wonderkid will be ‘a beautiful matchup’ | OneFootball

Pau Cubarsi was rewarded with an international debut for La Roja last night in Spain’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia. He came on as a late substitute for Ayameric Laporte, but the damage had already been done by the time he was called on.

The 17-year-old has enjoyed a stunning rise to fame over the past few months, exhibiting maturity beyond his years every time he takes to the field.

His biggest test, however, will come next month when Barcelona take on PSG in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League. Going up against Kylian Mbappe will be a real test of the protege’s quality.

Speaking to SPORT in a recent interview, Cubarsi’s compatriot and PSG superstar Fabian Ruiz commented on the youngster and how the battle between Mbappe and him would be over the two legs.

“In the few matches he played, Pau showed the high level he has and that is why he was called up. We have seen him well these days. He is a great boy and has a very great future and I am happy to have him with us,” he began, praising the Catalan starlet.

“As for Kylian, everyone knows him and he was at a high level. For many years he has proven that he is one of the best players in the world.”

“It will be a beautiful matchup, fortunately, we have Kylian on our side and he gives us the needed boost,” he added, tipping the edge to his club teammate to come out on top.

The PSG star stayed on the topic of the upcoming game against Barcelona, speaking about Ousmane Dembele who made a shock move to Paris last summer.

“Since Ousmane [Dembele] has arrived, he has been an important player for us. He gives us something different. We know that he is a great player, because of his speed, he dominates both legs and for us, he is a very important player.”

“On a personal level, I have got along very well, I have him next to me in the locker room and he is a very quiet, normal boy. We are happy that he is with us because he helps us a lot,” he added.

Finally, Ruiz was asked about which of the two teams was the favourite in the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal, to which he modestly replied that both sides had an equal chance.

“No, we’ll see each other favourites. We see ourselves as one of the eight best teams in Europe. We are there and we come with good feelings, with a very positive dynamic, but just like Barcelona, which is very good.”

“They will be very equal and competitive matches that will be determined by small details. We must be focused so that we are clinical and pass the elimination, which would be something very nice,” he concluded.