The value of Spain's Patri Guijarro: ‘Watch her play and you can't help but smile'

The Guardian

4 days ago

It's England v Spain again in a major tournament final and most people know the strength of the world champions' midfield. We have Alexia Putellas and we have Aitana Bonmatí. Superstars. But what about that third player? Who is she and what does she do?
Well, there is an unwritten rule in Spanish football which says that when Patri Guijarro plays well, so do Spain and Barcelona. Undervalued and indispensable in a midfield triangle with the two Ballon d'Or winners, the Mallorca native has become essential for club and country.
'It's so easy to play alongside her, she makes everything easy,' said the two-time Ballon d'Or winner Putellas earlier at Euro 2025. 'It's a privilege to play with her. She's the best pivot in the world. Every inch of the pitch she covers, she does it with quality and intelligence.'
The 27-year-old, who has been with Barcelona since 2015, is so versatile that she can play in other positions – and do it better than those who regularly feature there.
When Putellas missed the 2022- 23 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Barcelona did not sign a replacement for her. Guijarro moved higher up the pitch and Barça brought in Keira Walsh as a holding midfielder. Guijarro adapted seamlessly to her more attacking role, with the standout performance coming in the Champions League final against Wolfsburg, where her two goals turned the game around to end in a 3-2 win.
Vicky López is one of the players who has benefited from featuring in the same side as Guijarro. The teenager (she turns 19 on Saturday) was tasked with replacing Bonmatí for Spain's first two games at the Euros and she felt it was very easy to slot in. 'She is one of the best players in the world, but she's always been undervalued in my opinion,' López said of Guijarro before the semi-final against Germany. 'She's the spine of the team and the reason why we all play well. There's passes that only she sees. If you watch her play, you can't help but smile.'
Looking at Spain's matches at these Euros, Putellas and Bonmatí have been closely marked, minimising space for the Spanish attack, but Guijarro has been outstanding defensively and offensively against the low blocks. Her aggressive high press allows Spain to recover the ball in more advanced positions and, operating nearer the forwards, closing down passes, closing down spaces and taking care of ball recovery, her performances allow Putellas, Bonmatí and the wingers more space and time to start attacks.
'It's not an easy position because it doesn't get the recognition it deserves,' the Spain manager, Montse Tomé, said this week. 'Her humility and hard-working personality, on and off the pitch, allow players such as Bonmatí, Putellas, Vicky, Mariona [Caldentey], and [Clàudia] Pina to play more freely. She's a key part of our team.'
The semi-final was a case in point. Germany forced Putellas and Bonmatí high up the pitch so they were already on the edge of a crowded penalty area with their backs to goal when they received the ball. Guijarro, however, was deeper in the Germany half with a big part of the pitch in front of her like a chessboard, knowing exactly where she could play the ball and move the pieces in front of her.
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When Spain scored the only goal of the game, Guijarro was pressing high and wide alongside Athenea del Castillo. That forced Sydney Lohmann to attempt a long ball but, with tired legs and the added pressure from the right-back, Ona Batlle, the pass came up short and it was an easy interception for Del Castillo, who made the assist for Bonmatí.
Guijarro's goal against Italy also showed how important her positioning is against a low block. Caldentey was at the top of the box and had one defender in front of her blocking a pass. Bonmatí was pushed wide with two Italian players next to her while Putellas had four opponents nearby. That meant Guijarro was unmarked on the edge of the box and she put Spain ahead with a brilliant first-time finish into a bottom corner. She has the finishing and passing of an attacking midfielder and the defending and composure of a defensive midfielder. She can do it all.
Leaving a big impression on people who watch her is how she started her professional career at 17. She was playing for her local side, Collerense, in a match against Barcelona and caught the attention of their manager, Xavi Llorens. He went on to sign her the following summer and she made her debut for the Catalan club in the 2015-16 season.
A decade later, she's played more than 300 matches for Barcelona, winning 20 major honours in the process, including six league titles and three Champions Leagues. She has remained humble and when she was asked whether she sees herself as a future winner of the Ballon d'Or she said: 'Patri Guijarro, Ballon d'Or winner? No, I don't see it yet.'
Another match-winning performance against England on Sunday may go some way towards changing that.