Barcelona returned to action for the final time before the international break and cruised to a comfortable victory against Elche at Camp Nou. Some parts of Barcelona’s game are starting to become constants and against Los Franjiverdes, Robert Lewandowski scored again and Pedri put in another masterful showing.
Speaking after the match to Marca, manager Xavi Hernandez exhausted his adjectives, referring to the young Canary Islander as simply superlative.
“He is a superlative footballer: he understands the game, he makes the difference with passes, he doesn’t lose the ball… He is decisive. He is one the best that has come through here. He is a guarantee.”
Pedri vs Elche:
• 106 touches
• 92 accurate passes (96%)
• 5 key passes
• 15/16 successful long balls
• 7 ball recoveries
• 2 interceptionsAnother casual masterclass by the golden boy. All the potential in the world to one day be considered as a football phenom. pic.twitter.com/rUootjrGwc
— The Red Fury ™ (@SpainSystem) September 17, 2022
“We have to take care of him. We are managing the squad well. Whoever plays, it doesn’t stand out. He is a superlative footballer.”
The difference between Barcelona with and without Pedri is perhaps the clearest illustration of just how talented he is. At 19 years of age, Pedri has a just claim to being the most important midfielder at Barcelona, the best Spanish midfielder and only Robert Lewandowski can provide competition as the most important Blaugrana player.
While the likes of Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Ansu Fati have all come into the team an performed to a high level at a young age at Camp Nou, none have had the impact that Pedri has.
