Xavi Hernandez spoke to the media after Barcelona’s last gasp victory over Levante and was keen to convey a sense of realism about their performance.
After a tricky first half in which Barcelona had some last-ditch defending to thank for parity, the Catalans were forced to face three penalties in order to comeback and win the match.
Although Barcelona did react after Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Roger Marti’s penalty, the game swung back in Barcelona’s favour when Pedri and Gavi were substituted on. It took just three minutes for Barcelona to equalise, before the two combined for their second.
Asked about whether Barcelona had become dependent on Pedri to win matches, Xavi told Mundo Deportivo that wasn’t the case.
“I wouldn’t go that far, he is an extraordinary player, I won’t skimp on singing his praises, he is a player that excites and makes the difference. Today, Gavi helped too… We tell the players to be prepared to add something, whether they play more minutes or less.”
Last weekend it was a piece of Pedri brilliance which unlocked the Sevilla defence and brought them a crucial victory at Camp Nou. After a tough first half of the season, Pedri is excelling on his return to fitness with some referring to him as the best player at Barcelona.
