The young pearls of FC Barcelona continue to shine on the biggest of stages. With the European championship now being very close to commencing, the matches prior to it are crucial. Whether a player be from Barcelona or any top club, making a place for themselves in the starting eleven for their nation is always a priority.
For those Barcelona stars who currently represent Spain, the recent game against Northern Ireland presented a chance to do that. No player is a guarantee until they prove themselves when the pressure is on, and fortunately for a certain 21-year-old Barcelona star, he came up with his A-game against Northern Ireland in the most recent international friendly.
As pointed out by SPORT, 21-year-old Golden Boy and Barcelona superstar Pedri came up massively for Spain in a game where they needed him to showcase just why exactly head coach Luis de la Fuente continues to count on him. Despite the ups and downs he has faced this season, Pedri ultimately did get to showcase his best version.
After Northern Ireland surprisingly went 1-0 up early on, it was Pedri who struck back for Spain. With a composed and well-aimed shot from distance, the Barcelona prodigy scored for his national team in the 12th minute of the game.
However, that was not to be his only goal contribution in the game, as he scored another goal in the 29th minute, showcasing his finishing qualities for this one.
Despite only playing for 61 minutes, Pedri played a far more attacking role than he typically does at Barcelona. Even after the game, the Spanish head coach mentioned that his role for Pedri within the national setup would be different from his role over at Barcelona:
“I want Pedri to play closer to the penalty box. What I’m asking him to do is different than what he does for his club.”
With Manchester City’s Rodri behind him for cover, Pedri was able to play with a lot more creativity and offensive output against Northern Ireland.
Beyond just his incredible brace, he created some dangerous-looking opportunities for his teammates, one of which was a rather poor execution by teammate Fabian Ruiz which would have otherwise granted Pedri an assist as well.
With just days left to the start of the Euros, the Barcelona wonderkids are putting in the work. Apart from Pedri’s magical display, even 16-year-old Lamine Yamal was outstanding. The Barcelona forward ended up receiving a standing ovation as well for his contributions, something quite surreal given just how young the winger still is.
