Italy's remarkable 37 game unbeaten run may have come to an end last night after a 2-1 defeat to Spain, but for many, the real story of the night involved a 17-year-old midfielder who ended up stealing the show.
Barcelona's Gavi made his full Spanish debut in the heart of the away side's midfield at San Siro, where he faced off against the likes of PSG star Marco Verratti in a Nations League clash.
It speaks to the impressive nature of Gavi's performance that the man who scored both of Spain's goals, Manchester City forward Ferran Torres, was barely spoken about in the aftermath.
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La Roja were missing a number of key men in what was a rerun of the Euro 2020 Semi-final, meaning that Gavi was thrust into the starting line-up a lot earlier than many were expecting.
Despite playing only seven games for club side Barcelona so far in 2021/22, the 17-year-old sensation is now the youngest player in Spain's illustrious footballing history.His mature display can be seen in the compilation below.
The youngster played 85 minutes at San Siro, seldom putting a foot wrong in the process.
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The task for Luis Enrique's men was simplified slightly by Leonardo Bonucci being sent off in the first half, for an alleged elbow on veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets.
Nevertheless, against elite opposition, and the reigning European champions, Gavi's contributions should not be downplayed or erased by that fact.
Fan reaction to the 17-year-old's showing was equally positive.
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Topics: Luis Enrique, Nations League, marco verratti, San Siro, Spain, Gavi, Italy
