Scary scenes after Barcelona's win: fan storms the pitch and charges straight at Cubarsí
Barcelona's celebration in Valencia was cut short by a genuinely frightening moment that could have ended much worse for one of their brightest young stars.
Details: After the final whistle of the match between Levante and Barcelona, a fan jumped over the fences and sprinted directly towards Pau Cubarsí. The supporter nearly knocked the defender to the ground before three security staff had to intervene. What exactly the fan intended to do remains unclear.
The incident overshadowed what had been another emphatic evening for Hansi Flick's side. Barcelona won 4:2 away at Levante at the Estadi Ciutat de València, with Lamine Yamal scoring a brace, including a goal that saw him match a long-standing Messi achievement, and Fermín López adding a stunning strike from outside the box. The victory extended Barça's perfect start in La Liga to five wins from five and sent them three points clear at the top. Cubarsí himself had endured a mixed evening, speaking openly after the match about his defensive mistakes while receiving public backing from Flick. Then came the ugly coda: as players headed towards the dressing rooms, the pitch invader vaulted the barriers and made a beeline for the 19-year-old centre-back, colliding with him at full sprint before stewards wrestled the intruder away. Fortunately the defender was unhurt, but the episode will inevitably raise fresh questions about security at Spanish stadiums, where fence jumping remains disturbingly easy on matchdays.
It's worth noting that Cubarsí, still only 19, has already played 180 minutes in Barcelona's last two league matches and remains one of the undisputed leaders of Flick's defense despite his age.
Reminder: Bring on the Ballon d'Or! Yamal matches Messi's impressive achievement.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
