It is quite evident that most of the headlines at FC Barcelona are reserved for the team’s star forwards. After all, goals are what make the game exciting and these forwards deliver those goods in most games. However, there is much more to be appreciated about this Barcelona side.
Players like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal may be the typical headliners for this version of the Catalan side, and rightfully so, but there are other elements to be considered as well. Perhaps there is no better indicator of this fact than assessing how opponent coaches look to approach any game against Barcelona.
Typically, the plan seems to revolve around nullifying both Raphinha and Yamal, as the latter even gets talked about a lot ahead of games. However, there is a new trend that is starting to present itself, and that is directed specifically at a certain €100 million-rated Barcelona midfielder.
During the recent victory over Rayo Vallecano, it was quite clear to see that Pedri was one of the few difference-makers on the pitch in that game. When the entire team seemed to have no ideas left to execute, the Spaniard would simply conjure up something out of nowhere.
Following the game, as highlighted by SPORT, even the rival coach came clean about the fact that Rayo Vallecano had a plan specifically devised to stop and restrict Pedri. Inigo Perez, the opponent coach, said the following:
“For this game, we designed a plan to stop Pedri. We tried. We analyzed how he plays, how he passes the ball. I’m happy he’s getting consistent minutes. He knows how to defend, how to attack… It’s a pleasure to watch him play.”
Such praise from any rival coach is a big deal, but Pedri is fully deserving of it. From his offensive contributions to his defensive contributions, the youngster was everywhere and he was the engine of this Barcelona team in every single way.
So far this season, he has already accumulated 2793 minutes of playing time and that just goes on to show his consistency. Moreover, it simply proves that the club has finally found a solution to his previous injury woes, as the minutes he has played this season by mid-February already exceed his minutes from the entirety of last season and has also long surpassed his participation from the season before that.
However, Perez has not been the only individual to praise Pedri’s quality. Even Andres Iniesta, a man renowned for being one of the best midfielders to ever grace the sport, had special praise for the Barcelona star in the past:
“That naturalness, that simplicity, how he understands the game. He’s been showing that level of play for a while now.”
Even former Real Madrid player Jorge Valdanos praised the player, despite adding some criticism as well which was not exactly justified in any way:
“Amid all the chaos, there was one player who always brought order to the game. He was able to release the ball with the perfect precision and speed. He’s probably not a genius, but he owes his imbalance to his precision. Pedri is having an extraordinary year.”
As for the player himself, he simply continues to focus on the game itself and nothing else. A true inspiration on the field for both the fans and his teammates, the Barcelona midfielder has well and truly established himself as one of the best in the world.
