FC Barcelona is feeling strong heading into the Clásico after a famous victory that was helmed by a foreign coach who guided a group of youngsters and up-and-coming players – oh, and a superstar striker who many thought was over Mountain – has led to perfection.

La Masia is the most famous academy in world football, and for good reason. A large number of FC Barcelona’s players in the 4-1 victory over FC Bayern Munich were academy graduates, even if they took different paths after their football training.

Not all of Barcelona’s young people are academy graduates, and not all of their graduates are in their early 20s. But there is significant overlap there. Let’s talk about the young players who give Barcelona fans reason to believe.

Let’s start with Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal, both 17. The level they showed at this age is truly ridiculous for their age. It’s crazy when a defender starts and performs well in high-profile UEFA Champions League games. And for Yamal to be a central player in a team that won the UEFA European Championship when he was 16 out of 17 is simply unthinkable. It’s just a shame that Marc Bernal, also 17, is currently injured.

Moving forward we have a couple of 18 and 19 year olds who have a future but have not yet established themselves as key members of the first team – Héctor Fort and Sergi Domínguez. There are also other players from the B team, but they stand out because they played for the first team this season.

Then there is Gavi. After a serious injury, Gavi was a key figure for Barcelona and the Spanish national team. He’s still 20 and has his entire career ahead of him. It will take some time for him to get back to form, but hopefully he can pick up where he left off.

There is something special about the 21-year-olds in this squad. There are no fewer than six of them, starting with Pedri. Not a graduate of the Barcelona academy, but a major coup from the club’s scouts. He is quickly becoming one of the symbols of the club and still has so many years ahead of him.

Another 21-year-old who deserves special mention is Marc Casadó. Everyone knew the boy was wild, but no one knew how special he was. He was thrust into the spotlight after an injury crisis and responded impeccably.

Ansu Fati is trying to restart his career after persistent injuries blighted what seemed like a legend. He is only 21 years old and there is still hope that he can move forward after the setbacks.

Alejandro Balde is also 21 and is also coming back from an injury-plagued season. He has all the tools to be successful, but he’s not quite there yet. Again, we have to be patient with these children.

Fermín López is back after an injury, although not as serious as the previous two cases. He is a player who seemingly came from nowhere and became a key part of the first team. He is hardworking, takes risks and loves to shoot.

Finally in the 21-year-old category: Pablo Torre. As an attacking midfielder, Torre has had limited opportunities so far, but you can’t fault his performance. In his last substitute appearance he scored two goals.

After that, the team has many players in their 20s, notably Jules Koundé and Ronald Araújo, both 25; Dani Olmo, 26; and Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha, 27.

Surprisingly, the team only has two veterans over 30 getting minutes: Iñigo Martínez and Robert Lewandowski. But they deserve their place, to say the least. Martínez was a key player following Araújo’s injury and an injury to another defender, Andreas Christensen. It was initially assumed that Martínez would not be needed, but that was not the case.

Then you have Lewandowski. At 36, he is 15 to 20 years older than the young talents on the team. But that makes it even more important. He scores goals left and right and also plays a lot of the minutes on offer, meaning his conditioning must be exceptional given his age.

Of course you shouldn’t forget the boss. Hansi Flick may be a foreign coach, but he has shown that he understands Barcelona perfectly. Thanks also go to Xavi, who gave many of these young players their debut or breakthrough. But now Flick is in control and he has done a fantastic job so far.

The future looks bright, but the present also looks bright. And that’s a relief for the club as their next game is a crucial top-flight clash against Real Madrid.