Pedri Demonstrates His Importance in Barcelona’s Ranks
Villarreal midfielder Santi Comesaña said after the match: “With Pedri, the game was no longer back and forth, Pedri calmed everything down and took the ball away from us,” praising the player’s impact on the course of the game, especially in the final minutes when Barcelona decisively settled the confrontation.
Coach Hans Flick started the match relying on a midfield trio consisting of Marc Bernal, Olmo, and Fermín López, but Pedri’s entry instead of Olmo completely changed the rhythm of the match and contributed to ending the Yellow Submarine’s hopes of a comeback.
Pedri played the last 38 minutes at an impressive level, making 57 interventions in play and completing 52 out of 55 passes, including an assist to Lamine Yamal for his third goal in the match, in addition to a through pass to Koundé for the last goal scored by Lewandowski, creating two decisive chances, and making only three passing errors. He also succeeded in his only dribble and achieved four ball recoveries, winning his only tackle.
There was no sign of the muscular injury in the right thigh’s biceps he suffered against Slavia Prague on January 21st, confirming his full readiness for the decisive stage of the season.
Pedri is now a strong candidate to be a starter in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atlético Madrid, as Barcelona seeks to achieve a strong comeback leading them to the final. The Villarreal match proved that the Catalan team becomes more balanced and controlled with Pedri, who continues to affirm his status as one of the best midfielders in the world.
