"Certified baller," "Hidden gem" - Fans praise Barcelona star's performance in their 2-1 win over Sevilla
FC Barcelona finished their La Liga 2023-24 campaign on a high as they registered their 26th win against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on Sunday (May 26). The match saw many young guns producing solid performances on the pitch, but one player was especially lauded on social media — Fermin Lopez.
Lopez was among the scorers as his team defeated Sevilla 2-1 in the La Liga game.
"FERMÍN. IS. A. BALLER," posted FC Barcelona's official X handle.
La Masia prodigy Lopez was a standout performer in the club's last match and fans couldn't stop praising him on X (formerly Twitter).
A fan suggested that Fermin Lopez will be crucial for the club's progress next season:
"Fermin fc We gonna cook next season," they wrote on X.
Other reactions from Culers after the game were as follows:
"Certified baller," another fan chimed in.
Another fan wrote:
"fermin lopez was the hidden gem this whole time."
The 21-year-old got a 7.8 rating on Sofascore and was a live wire in the Catalan club's midfield. He maintained a stellar 90% passing accuracy and won seven ground duels to break the opposition's gameplay.
Fermin Lopez is known for his ability to help in the attack and score crucial goals for his team. The Spaniard didn't disappoint as he scored the second goal in the 59th minute to take the Catalans 2-1 up in the tie.
“I don’t think the work has been appreciated enough," Xavi after his last match with Barcelona
Barcelona defeated Sevilla 2-1 to end an underwhelming season for Xavi Hernandez and his team. The match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan was also Xavi's final match as the club's manager after he was sacked on Friday (May 24).
"I don’t think the work has been appreciated enough,” commented Xavi after the match (via The Guardian).
He explained his statement and concluded with a ray of hope as he thought the club was progressing in the right direction.
"A double last year [La Liga and Super Cup] and this year, we haven’t been up to the task because of details. I leave with some mixed feelings because the work is positive even though we didn’t win the titles this season. I think we were on the right track and I still think so," concluded the former Barcelona midfielder.
Barcelona took the lead early in their last match against Sevilla, courtesy of Robert Lewandowski's prowess. The Polish striker was a fox-in-the-box and produced a great finish to make it 1-0 for the away side in the 15th minute.
The lead didn't last long as Youssef En-Nesyri’s strike from a difficult angle went through the legs of Marc Andre Ter Stegen and Sevilla equalized in the 31st minute. The winner came from Fermin Lopez's right foot in the 59th minute as he fired a thunderbolt past goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland.
The Catalan club finished the 2023-24 season with 85 points in La Liga, 10 behind champions Real Madrid.