Other Astralaga Aranguren, just turned 18 (on March 3), made his debut with a note in the Barça B goal in the transcendental victory against Betis Deportivo (1-2), key for the Barça subsidiary to move away from the danger zone. The Juvenile A goalkeeper was the bet of Sergi Barjuan in front of Alex Ruiz20 years old and with a subsidiary file since January to replace the departure of Inaki Pena, on loan to Galatasaray. The international calls for Lazar Carevicwith the absolute of Montenegro, and Arnau Tenas, with the U-21s and then with the senior team in Spain, opened the door for him and he did not disappoint. He transmitted security and avoided Raúl’s 2-2 with a good intervention.
Born in Berango (Vizcaya) and trained at Athletic, he has been a member of Barça youth football since 2018, when he arrived at the age of 14, and is an international in the lower categories of the Spanish team.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity that the coach has given me, grateful to the club as well, and very happy because making my debut with a victory is a plus”, explained the Basque goalkeeper in statements to Barça TV.
“At the beginning I had the typical nerves, those normal tickles because it was also very important to win, but when the game starts it goes away,” he explained, revealing that “the coach has asked us not to risk too much and that is what I have done, try not to put my teammates in trouble with my foot. When I played, Mika he is a machine because of how he gets the ball out. During the break I asked the coach if something different had to be done and he told me to continue the same”.
Other admitted that “I knew I could play, but I had doubts because I was Alexwho has worked very well all week and is a Barça B goalkeeper”. And he confessed that he celebrated his victorious debut with his family from a distance: “My family has sent me messages”.
Sergi Barjuan praised Astralaga: “I made things easy for him… We didn’t want to play a lot from behind. He wasn’t to blame for the goal. He has personality. During the break he asked me how to come out from behind with the ball played and I told him to go out with Mika , not with Comas. He made his debut and won, that not everyone can say.”
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