Marc Bernal returns with an assist after 383 days
Barcelona’s clash with Valencia brought plenty of positives, and perhaps even bigger than the 6-0 win was the long-awaited return of Marc Bernal. The 18-year-old stepped back onto the pitch 383 days after the injury he suffered away to Rayo Vallecano last season.
Wearing his new number 22 shirt for the first time, Bernal came on in the 81st minute to replace Pedri with the score already 5–0 at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. The reception was thunderous, the whole bench rising to applaud him. Moments later, he capped his comeback with an assist for Lewandowski to make it six.
Fittingly, Bernal’s fourth senior appearance came against the same side he made his debut against on the opening day of last season.
His previous outing in Barça colours had been on 27 August 2024, that ill-fated night in Vallecas when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and damaged his external meniscus. On Saturday he was finally given the medical green light, more than a year on, and on Sunday Hansi Flick rewarded him with his first minutes back.
New number
A comeback and a new number. Bernal’s journey continues. Having graduated from La Masia and now officially part of the first-team squad, he’ll be looking to build on this next step. As Flick put it before the match: “His next step is to be more and more prepared.” For Barça fans and for Bernal himself, the smile is back. His return is a reality.