Sergio Busquets once again proved he is one of the most composed players in world football with a performance of effortless class for Barcelona on Saturday.
The 34-year-old midfielder was the epitome of calm as goals from Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele gave his side a 4-0 away victory over Cadiz on Saturday.
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After sitting out of the Catalan club’s 5-1 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen in midweek, Busquets returned to the starting lineup for their match at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla.
And the Spanish maestro showed just why he has amassed well over 400 appearances in his 14 years at the 26-time league champions.
With 15 minutes of the game to go, Busquets received a pass on the edge of his own box from goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Surrounded by three Cadiz players, Busquets gracefully pirouetted away from the onrushing attackers with some classy footwork before calmly passing the ball up field.
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The clip has garnered significant attention on social media, with many fans expressing their adoration for the Spanish international.
One wrote on Twitter: “Busquets is unbelievable… so underrated it’s actually criminal.”
Another added: “That was a horrific choice to pass to him from Ter Stegen but trust this guy to make it look like 3 players aren't within breathing distance of him”
While another tweeted: “There is a reason we say he is the REAL GOAT. There will be no one like him! I said no one literally.”
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The match, however, had to be halted in the 81st minute when a Cadiz fan fell ill and needed urgent medical attention.
The players left the pitch for around half an hour before eventually returning to finish the game.
According to ESPN, the fan suffered a heart attack but was soon stabilised and taken to hospital.
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Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma and substitute Jose Mari helped get the defibrillator and a stretcher to the supporter behind the home side's goal before the players temporarily left the field.
"It was not a nice situation for anyone," said Barcelona boss Xavi after the game.
"Health and people's lives always come before anything else. Luckily they were able to revive the person and they are healthy and safe. We felt, both teams, that it was right to restart the game. We hope the supporter recovers quickly."
Barcelona currently sit top of La Liga but could be leapfrogged by fierce rivals Real Madrid should they beat Real Mallorca on Sunday afternoon.
Topics: Barcelona, Sergio Busquets, La Liga
George Nash