Whenever FC Barcelona face Real Madrid, there is more than just a club rivalry at stake. It is a clash that includes both the historical context of the two sides as well as a lot of individual battles. Ultimately, for both Barcelona and Los Blancos, winning those individual battles is crucial.
For many years, beyond just the sponsors and the star players that were pitted up against one another, there was a special individual rivalry that triumphed all else. Between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest rivalry of all time was born in the chaos of El Clasico.
Now, with both those players gone and now representing other clubs, this fixture continues to house superstars and rivalries now find themselves to come in a variety of different shapes and forms. One of the more prominent ones is that of Pedri and Jude Bellingham, the most focal midfielders for each respective team competing in this fixture.
However, in recent times, a lot of disrespect and undervaluation could be found when people referred to Pedri. Especially by constantly arguing that the likes of both Bellingham and Jamal Musiala are much better players than him, a completely wrong image of the young Spaniard’s quality was painted for the neutrals.
Fortunately, as highlighted by SPORT, the 21-year-old Barcelona midfielder got his chance to redeem his place back at the echelon of world football. By bossing the midfield against both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Musiala and Bellingham’s clubs respectively, he showed exactly what he is capable of to the footballing world.
In the most recent El Clasico, a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid, almost all of Pedri’s involvement eclipsed those of his English opponent’s. His touches were almost double of those of Bellingham’s, and his passes, ball recoveries, and efficiency in his decision-making were all better than that of the Real Madrid superstar.
By overcoming the challenge of both Bellingham’s Real Madrid and Musiala’s Bayern Munich in such a dominant fashion, the €80 million-rated Barcelona star has already reclaimed his place as one of the world’s very best. No matter who tries to downplay his quality, Pedri has perhaps surpassed even his own best version.
Moreover, he continues to show that his physical recovery this time around is much better than it has been in recent times. No longer struggling with physical issues, the Spanish midfielder has managed to overtake the likes of two of the world’s other best midfielders and even himself, a great achievement in its own right.