Eight cantera players started for Barcelona in win over Alaves
Iniesta, en el calentamiento ante el Alavés | Ignasi Paredes
Ernesto Valverde packed the team with cantera players, including match-winner Messi
Only Ter Stegen, Umtiti and Rakitic didn't play at youth level for the club
That Ernesto Valverde is a cantera fan is nothing new. He showed it as Espanyol and many times while at Athletic Club in Bilbao.
Now at Camp Nou he has done so again, picking a side which featured eight players that played for Barcelona at youth level. Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Aleix Vidal, Leo Messi and Gerard Deulofeu. They all were formed in the cantera, albeit only briefly in Vidal's case.
